CityScapes

[BisonCity]

Why is there not a greater outcry by bison fans to make the new arena downtown suitable for Bison basketball play? An arena in the downtown area with division 1 basketball would do wonders for area businesses and it would also help the team recruit. Wouldn't it be a drawback to the program if tax dollars went to a arena that did not help them out?

[JBB]

I think thats right.

[Gamehunter]

I personally dont believe in that idea. I think that "skyscraper" is a very bad idea for downtown fargo, but thats just my opinion. And I'm not so sure the city of Fargo is ready to build NDSU yet another arena. Laying low for a while can't hurt anything. Besides, it appears like the BSA is getting renovated, not that I totally agree with that either...

[BisBison]

Hey X-Factor, what ARE you in favor of? I love guys like you. Negative on other people's ideas and offering no ideas of your own. I personally think a BBall arena that seats 7500-8000 would be just the ticket for the Bison for the near term.

[Bisonguy]

I like the concept of the Cityscapes project for downtown, but I don't know if a downtown Bison BB facility is in the best interest of NDSU. I would much prefer an arena on-campus, even if it's the BSA for another 10 to 20 years.

[BisonMav]

I am not in favor of a off-campus arena for the Bison. You loose a lot of students by moving the games away from campus. The students are a big part of college athletics.

[JBB]

well, if they have a campus at Northern School, more campus in the proposed development, good buses and a few parking spaces, combine that with a nice arena and the Downtown going on I dont see any harm. 8)

[Gamehunter]

Hey X-Factor, what ARE you in favor of? I love guys like you. Negative on other people's ideas and offering no ideas of your own. I personally think a BBall arena that seats 7500-8000 would be just the ticket for the Bison for the near term.

Hey Bisbison, I think its time to grow up. :-/ I dont think you need to start a pissing match over something so arbitrary. I simply stated my opinion on the issue, that is all. I simply feel NDSU can do better than that arena in downtown fargo. Sorry if you don't.

The BSA has plans of being renovated; that will satisfy B-ball untill something much better can be done about the issue.

[mikelsch]

"The BSA has plans of being renovated; that will satisfy B-ball untill something much better can be done about the issue."

This is exactly the position that NDSU is taking right now. NDSU wants an on-campus arena for basketball. Rightly so, NDSU wants complete control over its facilities. The fargodome locker fiasco is enough to solidify their stance on this issue.

[tony]

I've never heard a convincing argument why a retail/office/residential development needs a hockey (or basketball) arena next door. It just doesn't seem to add anything to the development.

For example, if I were buying a place there, I'd rather be looking out over an outdoor rink in the winter that turns into a plaza in the summer (kind of like Rockefeller Plaza). That way I could look out at people skating or having lunch instead of a bunch of giant noisy HVAC boxes sitting on top of an even bigger brick box. Plus, they'd be destroying some of the unique buildings and possibly the businesses that make downtown more interesting and replacing them with something with no soul or utility. Cripes, a grocery store would make much more sense than a hockey arena and add a lot more for the current and future residents of downtown. Just saying the word "synergy" doesn't do it for me.

I like the rest of the project because having people live downtown is the only thing that will revitalize it. BTW, fourteen stories is no skyscraper Some people, believe it or not, like the vibrancy and convenience that comes with a little higher population density. Fargo has little to offer that type of person. In fact, all development in the Fargo metro area seems to be geared to creating as much sprawl as possible.

Anyway, this is kind of a roundabout way of saying that if the arena project doesn't make sense for Fargo, NDSU would be foolish to back it even if they built the BB team a palace downtown.

Maybe somebody else can sell me on the idea.