Dome Upgrades

[HerdBot]

If you modify your perspective on the associated parking needs, a 35,000 capacity stadium can certainly fit downtown.

We could do a bullet train, use drones to transport people or build an underground parking ramp a mile deep downtown. During the offseason, they could host the national world sewer skating championships. Or we could lobby the NCAA to allow football on a basketball sized stadium

In all seriousness, the only legitimate spot for a new stadium is along 19th Ave N to the west on some of that ag land. Or really far south, like 64th Ave, which doesn't make lot of sense to have a stadium off campus.

[HerdBot]

You could elevate the entire stadium with helium balloons and have a giant bison that would fart fireworks towards Jamestown's Bison World balloon ride every time NDSU scores!

Helium... now you're thinking outside the box. We could turn the stadium info a giant hot air balloon and we could fly it to Jamestown. It could be like the Bison road tour. We could play games in Bismarck, Minneapolis, or even New York City. (Pace Picante Sauce voice) "We're coming... to your city!" We would kill it recruiting, we would just bring the game to the recruits. In the winter, we could go to sunny San Diego and cruise along the Pacific, like a cruise ship. Brings new meaning to "We travel well."

[OrygunBison]

We could do a bullet train, use drones to transport people or build an underground parking ramp a mile deep downtown. During the offseason, they could host the national world sewer skating championships. Or we could lobby the NCAA to allow football on a basketball sized stadium

In all seriousness, the only legitimate spot for a new stadium is along 19th Ave N to the west on some of that ag land. Or really far south, like 64th Ave, which doesn't make lot of sense to have a stadium off campus.

Only a sith would speak in absolutes.

I'm serious in my point about being downtown. Sound urban design policy would support it and there many examples of it all over the country. People build stadiums and surround them with parking lots when they're on the edges of town and there's little street infrastructure to support it. They also do it because it is easy. It would be fantastic to build an urban stadium, even in other parts of campus. Hell, they could have built the dome in the Churchill Field back in the day and I think that would have been a better location. Admittedly, that option has passed since they've been filling up that land over the years but it would have been pretty cool. I also like being by campus better, although with more investment from NDSU downtown, the logic exists to at least consider it.

Stadiums can engage cities. They do not have to be an island within them. It's not all about the parking. It IS all about keeping tailgating but that does not require big mindless parking lots to work. It also does nothing for the atmosphere to make it easy for people to get to the game right before kickoff and leave late in the 3rd quarter to beat the traffic.

[OrygunBison]

Speaking of that Churchill Field stadium of my former dreams...

The end zones would be on the east and west ends. The west end would tie in with the student union and a plaza space. The north and south edges would include some classroom and administrative space and would be flanked with food carts and other vendors on game day, squeezed in between the stadium and the other school buildings. The east end would have a view down into the stadium from University. It's a sunken outdoor stadium with an upper deck at the level of surrounding buildings and it fits into the scale of the campus.

On game days, all campus roads would be limited, some closed to allow parking and most importantly tailgating. University Drive would be a party.

[oldmantutters]

Only a sith would speak in absolutes.

I'm serious in my point about being downtown. Sound urban design policy would support it and there many examples of it all over the country. People build stadiums and surround them with parking lots when they're on the edges of town and there's little street infrastructure to support it. They also do it because it is easy. It would be fantastic to build an urban stadium, even in other parts of campus. Hell, they could have built the dome in the Churchill Field back in the day and I think that would have been a better location. Admittedly, that option has passed since they've been filling up that land over the years but it would have been pretty cool. I also like being by campus better, although with more investment from NDSU downtown, the logic exists to at least consider it.

Stadiums can engage cities. They do not have to be an island within them. It's not all about the parking. It IS all about keeping tailgating but that does not require big mindless parking lots to work. It also does nothing for the atmosphere to make it easy for people to get to the game right before kickoff and leave late in the 3rd quarter to beat the traffic.

Back of the napkin drawings show the Fargodome footprint itself, along with a small apron taking up about the same as the block(s) containing city hall, the library and the civic center. With some creative planning the mid-america steel site might be large enough. The city owns a surface parking lot about a block away that could be turned into a ramp.

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[OrygunBison]

Obviously all academic...

I've been spinning around the Google for a bit. I like the site Between 1st Ave and NP, from 4th west to midblock between 5th and Broadway, vacating one block of 5th Avenue in the process. It would fit the building, plus there would be ample lots for structures and tailgating in the vicinity. Perhaps our version of the Hawkeye Express could happen as well, although an active set of tracks would be incredibly difficult to negotiate into the deal. With the bus station right there, however, maybe something could come of it.

Admittedly, Lakes would need to find a different place to go shopping for "toys".

[HerdBot]

Back of the napkin drawings show the Fargodome footprint itself, along with a small apron taking up about the same as the block(s) containing city hall, the library and the civic center. With some creative planning the mid-america steel site might be large enough. The city owns a surface parking lot about a block away that could be turned into a ramp.

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The Mid America steel site has a railroad track in the middle of it, so the east half is a long strip and not very useful. The West half, which is larger, would barely be able to fit the civic and a parking ramp.

Edit: sorry I made graphic way too small

Here is a scale size of the dome and it's parking lots and downtown. Keep in mind a 35K seat stadium would need to be larger and would require more parking

downtown.jpg

[56BISON73]

NDSU does or did own a nice track of land NW of the Dome.

[HerdBot]

Obviously all academic...

I've been spinning around the Google for a bit. I like the site Between 1st Ave and NP, from 4th west to midblock between 5th and Broadway, vacating one block of 5th Avenue in the process. It would fit the building, plus there would be ample lots for structures and tailgating in the vicinity. Perhaps our version of the Hawkeye Express could happen as well, although an active set of tracks would be incredibly difficult to negotiate into the deal. With the bus station right there, however, maybe something could come of it.

Admittedly, Lakes would need to find a different place to go shopping for "toys".

Between 2nd and 4th. (between NP and 1st) You would have to remove a block of 1st Ave and the Library but it could fit. You would also have to buy 2 city blocks of buildings. (nothing super awesome there now) You would have to build a parking ramp where the civic center was and then build a new library on the Mid America Steel site

The spot you pointed out would require us to buy and tear down the Forum and the the building it's connected to and remove a few blocks of 1st Ave..

The dome dome is wider than the space between NP and 1st so one of those streets needs to go or be rerouted.

Parking would definitely be an issue

Both are possible but expensive AF

[EC8CH]

The Mid America steel site has a railroad track in the middle of it, so the east half is a long strip and not very useful. The West half, which is larger, would barely be able to fit the civic and a parking ramp.

Edit: sorry I made graphic way too small

Here is a scale size of the dome and it's parking lots and downtown. Keep in mind a 35K seat stadium would need to be larger and would require more parking

downtown.jpg

What is that? A map for ants? Good luck fitting a new Dome in that tiny thing.