Facility Upgrade Questions

[MasonSAE4]

I was wondering if anyone knew why the baseball field upgrades have been delayed so long? I remember reading back sometime around the start of 2013 that they were supposed to begin any day, along with the new Housing VIII project where Lecture Hall is. Seems like they won't be starting soon either as the season isn't far off and I can't imagine them starting them right as games are getting under way.

Also, does anyone know of any planned improvements to Mason Stadium? Thought I read somewhere it was supposed to get some upgrades. Place looks like my high school stadium. Feel like since soccer and baseball have done well recently they should get places to play that encourage people to attend.

 

[MasonFanatic]

I know there was talk about the baseball stadium in 2013, but I don't believe it was ever actually funded by the state? The AD finished raising (private) funds for Phase I of the baseball stadium overhaul a few months ago. As far as I know, they are still fundraising for Phase II. At this point, I wouldn't expect the Phase I upgrades to break ground until after this coming baseball season. It would be too risky to start now, and then have winter weather prevent the facility from being ready.

Mason re-purposed the Mason Inn to serve as the Global Center, which as far as I know means they shelved the proposed Housing VIIIB. I believe the plans for the Lecture Hall site have been changed to a purpose other than housing.

 

[MasonSAE4]

I know there was talk about the baseball stadium in 2013, but I don't believe it was ever actually funded by the state? The AD finished raising (private) funds for Phase I of the baseball stadium overhaul a few months ago. As far as I know, they are still fundraising for Phase II. At this point, I wouldn't expect the Phase I upgrades to break ground until after this coming baseball season. It would be too risky to start now, and then have winter weather prevent the facility from being ready.

Mason re-purposed the Mason Inn to serve as the Global Center, which as far as I know means they shelved the proposed Housing VIIIB. I believe the plans for the Lecture Hall site have been changed to a purpose other than housing.

Oh really? I thought the Inn was supposed to be more of a stop-gap until that building was up. The Inn doesn't have classroom space like VIIIB was supposed to does it?

 

[MasonFanatic]

more of a stop-gap until that building was up.

Oh. You could be right. I don't know any details on that.

 

[GMUSig03]

I'm fairly certain the Inn was designed and built with the intention of it being exactly what it was - hotel and conference center. The management company who ran the Mason Inn had their contract canceled by Mason after the Inn lost money every year.

 

[MasonFanatic]

To be clear, I have some knowledge of the baseball stadium situation, but I was merely guessing on the Global Center. I know they converted the Mason Inn but I don't know if that is a temporary or permanent home for the Global Center.

 

[GiantKiller_Co]

To be clear, I have some knowledge of the baseball stadium situation, but I was merely guessing on the Global Center. I know they converted the Mason Inn but I don't know if that is a temporary or permanent home for the Global Center.

It's pretty permanent. They have offices set up for company that handles the global center (INTO) and a dining hall (a good one) set up inside. The conference areas are still used for conferences, but some of the smaller ones are used as study halls.

 

[MasonSAE4]

It's pretty permanent. They have offices set up for company that handles the global center (INTO) and a dining hall (a good one) set up inside. The conference areas are still used for conferences, but some of the smaller ones are used as study halls.

Interesting. Think that maybe it's that way until Housing VIIIB is funded? Can't imagine they'd want to eat the cost of whatever they paid to design/study the building. Plus they're committed to building more housing regardless. Seems like it'd be better to transition the Inn to normal housing and build VIIB

 

[GiantKiller_Co]

Interesting. Think that maybe it's that way until Housing VIIIB is funded? Can't imagine they'd want to eat the cost of whatever they paid to design/study the building. Plus they're committed to building more housing regardless. Seems like it'd be better to transition the Inn to normal housing and build VIIB

Right now they're trying to get funding for Robinson A/B Replacement. It'll be double the size of the JC 220K sq ft and at an estimated cost of $120M (https://www2.gmu.edu/news/141071)

 

[MasonFanatic]

Mason has designed many buildings over the years that were never built.

 

[GMU92]

Right now they're trying to get funding for Robinson A/B Replacement. It'll be double the size of the JC 220K sq ft and at an estimated cost of $120M (https://www2.gmu.edu/news/141071)

I wonder where they will move 30% of all Fairfax campus classes when they flatten the existing Robinson complex? I wonder if this will get approved. I could see some lawmakers arguing that a lot of schools work with traditional classrooms, especially at older schools with historical buildings. Then again, Mason has grown tremendously from the days when Robinson was built

 

[GiantKiller_Co]

I wonder where they will move 30% of all Fairfax campus classes when they flatten the existing Robinson complex? I wonder if this will get approved. I could see some lawmakers arguing that a lot of schools work with traditional classrooms, especially at older schools with historical buildings. Then again, Mason has grown tremendously from the days when Robinson was built

Once Academic VII is built (where the CHHS is being moved to) I'm sure it'll alleviate some of that 30%.
Mason will probably need more housing too. It's probably why that Faster Further campaign is asking for so much in such a short amount of time. I hope they buy more land or something because the FFX campus is pretty compact as it is.

 

[MasonSAE4]

Once Academic VII is built (where the CHHS is being moved to) I'm sure it'll alleviate some of that 30%.
Mason will probably need more housing too. It's probably why that Faster Further campaign is asking for so much in such a short amount of time. I hope they buy more land or something because the FFX campus is pretty compact as it is.

Any idea what the breakdown on how they're gonna spend is? They seem to have it split up between construction, scholarship and athletics. I'd like to think a hefty chunk will go towards breaking ground on that southwest sector plan that was (possibly?) never approved. The facilities site is never updated so who knows I guess.

 

[MasonFanatic]

They seem to welcome questions, however. I suggest calling or emailing: http://building.gmu.edu/gotta-question/

 

[mason89]

To hell with just a practice facility, these are the upgrades we need to consider...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...384dd4-a558-11e5-9c4e-be37f66848bb_story.html

 

[Walter]

This is one reason why over the years I care less and less about college football.

 

[MasonSAE4]

This is one reason why over the years I care less and less about college football.

I agree. I would love for Mason to have a team more than anything but it seems these days you can't just have a 30,000 seat stadium and a mediocre team. The sense of community it would bring would be unreal, but I certainly would't want them to have a laser tag complex like this at the expense of students. It's a shame that the state of collegiate sports has priced Mason students out of something they really want.

 

[GMU92]

To hell with just a practice facility, these are the upgrades we need to consider...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...384dd4-a558-11e5-9c4e-be37f66848bb_story.html

Growing up I had the pleasure of watching some of the most bad a$$ college football teams of all time, who trained by working out in leaky weight rooms, pushing old pickup trucks loaded with offensive linemen, and hurling hefty sandbags over goal posts.

Now they require mini-golf.

I wonder if they would like a wine spritzer with that?

 

[Vurbel]

Right or wrong, that's just the cost of doing business today.

 

[psyclone]

Right or wrong, that's just the cost of doing business today.

Those 2 writers have been cranking out lengthy columns on the spending excesses of the Power 5 conferences every other week, it seems. Perhaps its naive of me to think that the series will have some impact on reining in those excesses. Certainly the state universities would have state legistators who should be concerned about how public monies are spent.