Here are some other articles on the facility:
http://www.silive.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/07/ocean_breeze_track_will_be_a_u.html
http://www.silive.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/07/tracks_opening_a_game-changer.html
Do you have other articles we should know about (about other topics?). Be sure to email us at
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The taxpayers of the City Santa Clara donated $2 Billion to build a free stadium for the San Francisco 49ers. The owners of the Niners get to entertain in luxury boxes built with taxpayer funds. Much obliged!
Had they built one of those old fieldhouse style buildings, the cost would probably have been much less. But construction costs have risen a lot. I noted that the new two story library in our neighborhood cost $3.8 million, in contrast to the old one story building that cost $66,000 in 1965!
Mayor Bloomberg thought it would cost $70 million to build an indoor track plus soccer and ball fields in Staten Island.
We guess his business acumen has slipped as it cost $93 million just for the track!!!
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/07/following_delays_and_controver.html
(Kudos to a LRC visitor for sending us that link).
While we're amazed it cost so much, we're happy though that public money on sports stadiums actually for once went to the public and not to millionaires involved with professional sports - either players or owners.
LetsRun
Looks like the track will be a fine venue for all the neighborhood fat women to power walk on while their kids run all over the place.
First I've heard of this project. Guess it will nice for people on SI, but it looks like the track is about 4 miles from the SI ferry, so it sure won't be convenient to get to from Manhattan.
Banking aside, that is friggin expensive for a 200M track.
jjjjjjjjj wrote:
Had they built one of those old fieldhouse style buildings, the cost would probably have been much less. But construction costs have risen a lot. I noted that the new two story library in our neighborhood cost $3.8 million, in contrast to the old one story building that cost $66,000 in 1965!
Man, $66,000 is $498,457 adjusted for inflation today. Still way cheaper than the 3.8. Crazy.
45 - 55 minutes from Times Sq. by public transit, about the same as ICahn.
This will be a major game changer for indoor track. I heard this track will be super fast and it's as wide as legally permitted and hydrolic. The indoor record books might be re-written.
Thanks for the links, LRC. The last one was especially useful, particularly this: "In other words, think 2016 more than 2015."
Having had some personal experience with NYC/union construction partnerships, I'd be seriously surprised if the facility opened before next summer (at the earliest). The pix seem to indicate a lot of work yet to be done, and I promise the unions will stretch that out--it's just their nature.
Honestly, I'd be surprised if it were open in time for college teams to plan their 2016 indoor meets there. I think 2017 might be more realistic.
Still, I hope it all works out and that NYC eventually has another great indoor facility!
Nobody cares about indoor. There's no world major indoor championships. Only WIC which few compete for.
total waste of money. Staten Island has exactly one runner (Mike Cassidy), the rest are fat Italians.
No one is going to take the ferry to SI to watch some out of shape runners compete in some pseudo winter "race".
johnbunnykins wrote:
45 - 55 minutes from Times Sq. by public transit, about the same as ICahn.
I've never actually done Icahn purely by public trans [have always gotten close then walked or jogged over the foot bridge], but I see you're right. Did a little bit of checking on mta.info for a route to the track on SI and wasn't finding something similarly quick from Times Square. Would you mind explaining the route?
NYCRunner2 wrote:
total waste of money. Staten Island has exactly one runner (Mike Cassidy), the rest are fat Italians.
What about Wu Tang, dummy?
I wonder whether Heps would be interested. I suppose that if the track really were significantly faster than the Armory (or Harvard), they might be; otherwise, I imagine they might prefer another facility, because if the meet were on SI attendance would really dip.
no way is it 45 minutes from Times Square. I don't relish trying to get there for indoor meets. I anticipate 2+ hour commutes via public transportation for city kids. Most of the high schools in the area can't afford buses for their athletes. It will be a great training facility for Staten Island athletes and central NJ colleges.
LetsRun.com wrote:
Mayor Bloomberg thought it would cost $70 million to build an indoor track plus soccer and ball fields in Staten Island.
We guess his business acumen has slipped as it cost $93 million just for the track!!!
Common sense need to rear its ugly head on this one.
1) Hurricane Sandy washed away building materials and months (maybe a year) of work that had already been completed went out into the water.
2) The fiasco of the foundation of the building not being string enough to support the weight of the completed structure is pure NYC incompetence.
3) The biggest concern I have is the lack of leadership and a coherent management plan for the future.
Field of Nightmares. "Build it far enough away from everthing and they won't come."
This was a dumb idea. Along with others from the 5'3" hizzoner....Citibike fetish.....attempted large soft drink ban...
It's friggin' Staten Island. You can be certain there were some mobbed up added "expenses".