Big News For Aggieland!

[pineda]

QUORUM CHOOSES COLLEGE STATION FOR NEXT RETAIL CENTER

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (City of College Station) -- Quorum Equities of Dallas will develop a $10 million retail center at the Northeast corner of Greens Prairie Road and State Highway 6 in College Station. The design approval process should take no longer than two weeks as outlined in the city

[WestGrayGuy]

This is good news, for those in Aggieland need something "big city" like a large strip mall.

I am sure they are all excited there.

[H-Town Man]

Speaking of Aggieland... if y'all want some real big news, did you hear about the planned Kyle Field expansion?

115,000 seats

[Dallasite]

Speaking of Aggieland...  if y'all want some real big news, did you hear about the planned Kyle Field expansion?

115,000 seats

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Where can I find this information....officially?

[jt16]

http://www.theeagle.com/aandmnews/091804kyle.php

A&M Regents discuss long-term vision for Kyle Field

By BRETT NAUMAN

Eagle Staff Writer

Special to The Eagle

A long-term expansion plan for Texas A&M University’s Kyle Field would add six decks to the south end zone, boosting the stadium’s capacity to 115,000 and making it the largest football venue in the United States.

Special to The Eagle

Texas A&M University officials on Friday detailed long-term expansion plans at Kyle Field that would create more than 30,000 additional seats at the football stadium.

Six new decks in the south end zone seating would help boost the stadium’s capacity from 82,000 to 115,000, according to plans presented to the A&M System Board of Regents.

But constructing the south end zone and additional seating that wraps around the structure — creating a bowl stadium — likely will not happen for 20 years, regents said.

Regents discussed the Kyle Field expansion and future growth at A&M’s other athletic facilities during a board meeting at the Memorial Student Center.

The project would cost $100 million to $200 million to build today, said Tim Donathen, executive director of facilities, planning and construction for the A&M System.

How fast A&M moves forward with the expansion likely will be driven by ticket and concession revenues from football games, along with gifts from private donors, Donathen said.

“Anything could happen, but there’s no definitive time line to make this go,” he said. “It’s a vision, and much of it depends on the success of the football program.”

A&M completed a nearly $33 million expansion of its north end zone seating in 1999. That expansion boosted Kyle Field’s capacity from 70,000 to 82,000, associate athletics director Alan Cannon said.

Regents reacted favorably to the designs for the future expansion Friday. Included were plans to connect Kyle Field’s north, west, east and proposed south stands.

A lower bowl built behind the stands would give fans the ability to walk around the stadium and get to their seats more easily, said Chris Lammers, a designer with the architecture firm O’Connell, Robertson & Associates.

New restrooms and concession stands at Kyle Field also would make attending games more comfortable, said Lammers, who played football for A&M in the 1980s. A parking garage would be built between the stadium and Wellborn Road as part of the expansion.

A facility with seating for 115,000 fans would be the largest football stadium in the United States, according to the Web site Worldstadiums.com.

The University of Michigan’s football stadium has the most seats among U.S. facilities with 107,501. Penn State University’s stadium comes in second with 107,282 seats, according to the Web site.

The University of Texas’ Royal-Memorial Stadium can seat 84,000, UT officials said.

Though most of Friday’s board meeting revolved around Kyle Field, expansion for several other sports also was proposed as the athletic department presented its long-term plan.

Olsen Field, the soccer complex and softball stadium all would benefit from renovations, Donathen said. Plans call for new seating that would triple the soccer field’s attendance capacity, he said.

A proposed indoor practice facility south of Kyle Field also would allow the football, baseball, basketball, tennis, track and softball teams to escape extreme weather conditions, Lammers told the board.

The practice facility, which would cost between $55 million and $80 million, would have high ceilings and retractable floors that would suit each sport, he said. The building could hold 5,000 people, Lammers said.

G. Rollie White Coliseum would have to be destroyed to make way for the Kyle Field expansion at some point, he said, and the volleyball team would be moved from the coliseum to Reed Arena.

Regents also met Friday in closed session to discuss two candidates for the system’s vice chancellor and dean of agriculture post. But Regent Erle Nye said the board could not choose between the candidates because of confusion over whether one still is interested in the job.

Elsa Murano, undersecretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, and John Owens, a vice president and Harlan vice chancellor at the University of Nebraska, are the finalists.

Nye would not say which candidate generated the confusion. Regents likely will make a decision during the next two weeks on who will replace retiring agriculture chief Ed Hiler.

[The New Juniper]

Speaking of Aggieland... if y'all want some real big news, did you hear about the planned Kyle Field expansion?

115,000 seats

No bigger Aggie than me, but why would we expand to 115,000? Each of the games this year has been about 85% full. Not even the students' side is sold out. We have such an exciting team right now and we should be ashamed that we can't sell out.

Juniper

[SpaceCity]

Does anybody have a picture of the new engineering building at A&M? Its looks great lit up at night.

[MidtownCoog]

aggies get a strip mall

yee-haw

[WestGrayGuy]

I think you are referring to the Chemical Engineering building.

Here are some pics:

[GovernorAggie]

Let's include the pics!

I look forward to it! Whoop!

[SpaceCity]

That looks great. Thanks.

[citykid09]

You all in Houston don't think it is a big deal when a new shopping center comes to your area. You probably don't even want "Suburban Retail" like this. When Shopping centers like this come to Bryan/College Station we love it. These shopping centers make our town grow, every little thing we can get we take it. These things bring jobs to our area and Keeps the community shopping here at home, as apposed to Houston or else where.

In Houston, you guys could give a damn about a new shopping center because there are so many of them.

[H-Town Man]

HOLY CRAP!

Where'd you get those pics, Gov?!

I don't know what to say. On the one hand, what an amazing vision! On the other, how bizarre in some ways. What's with the big thing overhanging the top decks? More luxury boxes I presume, but who'd want a luxury box all the way up there? Plus it looks a little funny, and seems strange that they would hoist all that weight so high up just for a few crappy seats.

Regarding the north end zone... how much do you think they would have done differently if they had thought about this back then? It's a neat place, but it seems somewhat out of scale with the rest of the stadium. Looking at it from the third deck last weekend, it seemed to outmuscle the main stands somewhat, being taller. Also there's no way to connect it to the upper decks of the older stands, which is why they have it separated in the rendering.

Anyway, enough nitpicking. What an unbelievable creation this would be. Truly the most incredible example of an American football stadium. Can you imagine how loud it would be in there?

[KennethColeSRG]

First of all, as a lifelong resident of Bryan/College Station (except for a four year hiatus for college in Atlanta, GA) I have to say that I am less than impressed with the announcement of the development of what amounts to nothing more than a strip mall on way out on the edge of south College Station. More and more College Station is starting to resemble the surburban strip center/strip center there/strip center everywhere! hell-hole that is Gwinnett County, GA, a surburban area north of Atlanta that for several years has proudly exclaimed its status as the fastest growing county in the nation. That growth is due to nothing but sprawl, and that growth has led to perhaps one of the most unsightly urban nightmares in the country.

Now, College Station seems to be hell-bent on developing every piece of pasture in sight into tacky strip malls and strip centers as if this is still the 1970's & 80's. Mind you, the new developments in College Station are not of the quality that you all are seeing in places like The Woodlands, Katy, or Sugar Land. No my friends, the new centers in College Station are all cheap looking, built in little more than a week tacky buildings surrounded by nothing but concrete parking lots. The centers are not even designed to encourage a town center type feel...they are designed with the mindset that patrons should drive from one establishment to the other or risk death by being hit by a speeding auto or choking to death on car exhaust fumes.

As for the proposed future additions to Kyle Field...am I the only one who feels it is grossly inappropriate, obscene even, to even make such announcements when TAMU continues to raise their tuition rate (along with other state schools) every other minute? This is a university whose non-professorship staff are so low paid that the majority of service and custodial workers earn salaries that place them BELOW the U.S, poverty line. What makes the situation so terrible for the entire community is that TAMU is the largest employer in B/CS, so if they continue to grossly underpay their workers, the rest of the employers in the area can do it too. So while the College Station Independent School District is forced to lay off teachers and cut academic programs because of budget shortfalls, the Aggies boast about building the one of the largest stadiums in the nation that will be used a handful of times a year.

Of course I have to keep in mind that this is also the university that just spent $10 million dollars to build a tunnel underneath Wellborn Road in front of Kyle Field because their students were simply either too dumb or to lazy to use the pedestrian overpass that had been installed there.

[WestGrayGuy]

I think you underestimate Aggie pride. A&M does have a "keeping up with the Jones'" mentality. I think this vision (115k seat stadium) will come to pass. If not for pride but to stay one step ahead of good ole t.u.

Gig em Ags!

Keep winning!

Get us a bowl game!

[MidtownCoog]

Aggie pride is fine, just leave the matches at home.

[citykid09]

First of all, as a lifelong resident of Bryan/College Station (except for a four year hiatus for college in Atlanta, GA) I have to say that I am less than impressed with the announcement of the development of what amounts to nothing more than a strip mall on way out on the edge of south College Station.  More and more College Station is starting to resemble the surburban strip center/strip center there/strip center everywhere! hell-hole that is Gwinnett County, GA, a surburban area north of Atlanta that for several years has proudly exclaimed its status as the fastest growing county in the nation.  That growth is due to nothing but sprawl, and that growth has led to perhaps one of the most unsightly urban nightmares in the country. 

Now, College Station seems to be hell-bent on developing every piece of pasture in sight into tacky strip malls and strip centers as if this is still the 1970's & 80's.  Mind you, the new developments in College Station are not of the quality that you all are seeing in places like The Woodlands, Katy, or Sugar Land.  No my friends, the new centers in College Station are all cheap looking, built in little more than a week tacky buildings surrounded by nothing but concrete parking lots.  The centers are not even designed to encourage a town center type feel...they are designed with the mindset that patrons should drive from one establishment to the other or risk death by being hit by a speeding auto or choking to death on car exhaust fumes.

As for the proposed future additions to Kyle Field...am I the only one who feels it is grossly inappropriate, obscene even, to even make such announcements when TAMU continues to raise their tuition rate (along with other state schools) every other minute?  This is a university whose non-professorship staff are so low paid that the majority of service and custodial workers earn salaries that place them BELOW the U.S, poverty line.  What makes the situation so terrible for the entire community is that TAMU is the largest employer in B/CS, so if they continue to grossly underpay their workers, the rest of the employers in the area can do it too.  So while the College Station Independent School District is forced to lay off teachers and cut academic programs because of budget shortfalls, the Aggies boast about building the one of the largest stadiums in the nation that will be used a handful of times a year. 

Of course I have to keep in mind that this is also the university that just spent $10 million dollars to build a tunnel underneath Wellborn Road in front of Kyle Field because their students were simply either too dumb or to lazy to use the pedestrian overpass that had been installed there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think that the new shopping centers are cheap. Well some of them like the one with Ross and Goddy's looks cheap and the one with Krogers one Rock Prairie. But the newest one is the best of all the one where Acadamey use to be. It has roof top parking and is designed very well. I just wish more of the development was on the Bryan side of town. But soon a new movie theater will open in Bryan and the new Tejas Center (Old Manor East Mall) will open with new shops and a large H-E-B. Also the two new golf courses will spur growth in Bryan. You can already see it coming on the west side with a neighborhood planed for houses worth 200 Thousand and up.

[Talbot]

That'd be cool to have big box store with parking on top rathar than a sea of parking.

[citykid09]

That'd be cool to have big box store with parking on top rathar than a sea of parking.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is how the World Market/ Bed Bath and Beyond shopping center in College Station is. They did not want to do it but the city made them because of the lack of parking space on the ground level.

Don't they have roof top parkind at some shopping centers in Houston????

[GovernorAggie]

KennethCole, I don't know where you went to school at in Atlanta, but as someone who spent most of his life growing up near Atlanta, I can tell you that College Station in nothing like Gwinnett and never will be. I also don't know who 'enlightened' you in Atlanta (of all places), but College Station strikes as a remarkably progressive planning city, especially given that there MAY be 30,000 permanent residents here. I like the fact that there are more churches along the freeway than businesses. Steeples look better than Brake Check signs anyday. Also, College Station has an insanely extensive system of bike lanes, with plans and projects for more.

Is this development another sprawler? Yes, but there are also more intense developments happening in Northgate and along University Dr. east of Texas, e.g. the 10 story condo project for Northgate.

Regarding the stadium, if you read the article that was posted from the Eagle (which you said you did), you'd see that this expansion won't happen until the money is in place--private money. You have a bone topic with the University about tuition and salaries? Don't take your frustration out on athletics. They get the job done from boosters, etc. By the way, the school is in the process of hiring something like 440 new faculty in the next few years. Tuition will continue to increase--such is life in America as long as all of us can remember. The school is a top research institution--and it is overwhelmingly cheap when compared to many lower level schools. My first university cost the same if not more than A&M, and no offense, it is nowhere near A&M's caliber.

[GovernorAggie]

BTW, the pics of the stadium were from Eagle article that was posted.

[Talbot]

That is how the World Market/ Bed Bath and Beyond shopping center in College Station is. They did not want to do it but the city made them because of the lack of parking space on the ground level.

Don't they have roof top parkind at some shopping centers in Houston????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, we have rooftop parking, but not nearly enough. Although underground parking would be better.

[Bryan Guy]

Is it just me or has the development of the south College Station retail center hit a standstill? It seems like they cleared a few trees then it just stopped. The same builder, C.A. Walker, is completing the Kroger retail center in Bryan and its moving along at a very quick pace. The two centers were announced at basically the same time if I remember correctly. I know the builder isn't the owner but its odd that the two would be moving at such different speeds. I was just curious if anyone had heard anything in a while about this development.

Governor Aggie its funny that you would mention there being more church steeples along the freeway than business signs. The local paper actually wrote an article about that earlier this year. They actually interviewed several pastors of the larger, local churches asking them how they felt about their churches taking up "valuable" land and not paying taxes. The article struck me as odd, particularly un-American and truly un-southern.

[citykid09]

Is it just me or has the development of the south College Station retail center hit a standstill? It seems like they cleared a few trees then it just stopped. The same builder, C.A. Walker, is completing the Kroger retail center in Bryan and its moving along at a very quick pace. The two centers were announced at basically the same time if I remember correctly. I know the builder isn't the owner but its odd that the two would be moving at such different speeds. I was just curious if anyone had heard anything in a while about this development.

Governor Aggie its funny that you would mention there being more church steeples along the freeway than business signs. The local paper actually wrote an article about that earlier this year. They actually interviewed several pastors of the larger, local churches asking them how they felt about their churches taking up "valuable" land and not paying taxes. The article struck me as odd, particularly un-American and truly un-southern.

Are you talking about the one development that is supposed to be the largest shopping center in the are except for Oak Mall?

[energyman2005]

Regarding the Kyle Field expansion:

- If the stadium is ever expanded to 115,000, it will not be prior to 2020 because the demand is not there yet and the A&M fanbase has never shown the ability to consistently sell out the stadium, whether the team is winning or not.

- In regards to it being "the largest football stadium in the US", it is an almost certainty that 115,000 will be topped by another school (or perhaps several other schools) in the next 15-20 years.

It is even likely that A&M will never have the largest stadium in the state because of what's happening on the 40 acres. After UT plays for, and heaven forbid, wins the National Title, their expansion plans (which have been in place for approx. 10 years) will kick into overdrive and you will see an additional 10,000 seats at minimum by 2008 and another 20,000 by 2015.

Edited November 7, 2005 by energyman2005

[Bryan Guy]

Are you talking about the one development that is supposed to be the largest shopping center in the are except for Oak Mall?

That would be the one.

[citykid09]

I would rather see that shoping center on the westside of town between Bryan and College Station, like the GateWay Shopping center on the eastside.

[citykid09]

More big news for Aggieland

http://www.theeagle.com/stories/111205/am_20051112023.php

Updated 8:41 AM on Saturday, November 12, 2005

Company aims to put Aggies in luxury digs

By CRAIG KAPITAN

Eagle Staff Writer

A Georgia-based construction company announced Friday that it plans to build a $100 million complex of luxury condominiums aimed at undergraduate Texas A&M University students.

If approved by city officials, the 550-unit gated community - dubbed The Woodlands of College Station - will be on 87 acres at the corner of Wellborn Road and Harvey Mitchell Parkway South.

The first phase of the three-year project - including construction of one-third of the condos - is expected to be finished by August, company officials said in a statement Friday.

Dovetail Companies, which is overseeing the project, already has similar developments near universities in Georgia and South Carolina, and an additional development is under construction in Tennessee. College Station was a perfect fit for the latest project, according to Eddie Ivey, vice president of operations for the company.

"We always look at the affluency of the students at a college," he said, adding that the "sheer numbers of students" at A&M also played a major part in selecting a College Station site.

The loyalty of A&M alumni and how that translates to wanting to spend money in the community was another reason the area was selected, he said.

Among the amenities planned for the complex will be a 24-hour fitness center, a putting green, a 36-seat movie theater including a 400-disc DVD player, a basketball court and a volleyball pit. An activities coordinator will be hired to plan events ranging from free facials to pool parties and safety seminars.

Homes there are expected to range from about $140,000 to just over $200,000, Ivey said. They will be geared primarily toward undergraduate students receiving financial support from their parents, he said.

Dovetail Companies has been discussing the project with College Station employees for several weeks now, according to Lance Simms, assistant director of planning and development for the city.

The company is expected to request approval for a preliminary plat of the land on Thursday at the city's planning and zoning meeting. City staff is recommending approval, Simms said.

In addition to the condos, the project is expected to include an adjoining commercial development area. The company also will donate nearby land for a city park, officials announced.

City planners have not yet received any proposal for what the commercial property will be, Simms said. Four acres will be given to the city for the construction of Southwest Park, which is expected to be completed by the end of next year, according to Dovetail officials.

Edited November 12, 2005 by citykid09

[energyman2005]

It is even likely that A&M will never have the largest stadium in the state because of what's happening on the 40 acres. After UT plays for, and heaven forbid, wins the National Title, their expansion plans (which have been in place for approx. 10 years) will kick into overdrive and you will see an additional 10,000 seats at minimum by 2008 and another 20,000 by 2015.

[/qoute]

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news...2/8utbuild.html

As I predicted

Edited February 8, 2006 by energyman2005

[Scotch]

Kyle Field has been the largest stadium in Texas since 1999, where have you been?

Royal-Memorial Stadium

Seating capacity: 80,082

Total capacity: 85,000, including media, stadium workers and others

Largest crowd: 84,082, against Nebraska in 1999

First game: Nov. 8, 1924, against Baylor, at what was then known as Memorial Stadium

Source: University of Texas

Kyle Field Attendance Records (since 1970)

(through 2005 season)

Single Game Records

Crowd Opponent Date

1. 87,555 Texas Nov. 23, 2001

2. 87,206 Notre Dame Sept. 29, 2001

3. 87,188 Oklahoma Nov. 11, 2000

4. 86,617 Texas Nov. 25, 2005

5. 86,478 Texas Tech Oct. 5, 2002

6. 86,172 Iowa State Oct. 29, 2005

7. 86,128 Texas Nov. 26, 1999

8. 85,661 Iowa State Oct. 27, 2001

9. 84,094 Texas Nov. 28, 2003

10. 84,036 Oklahoma Nov. 9, 2002

Edited February 9, 2006 by Scotch