Stadium Renovation Pics @ MGoBlue
Some of the latest photos of the stadium renovation are up at MGoBlue. These show the pressbox completely removed, and a light covering of snow over the field and the stands.
Since everything is now enclosed, is the interior heated (at least minimally) and finish work being done on all the suites?
I know that some construction can go on around the clock, but I would think they won't really begin outside work in earnest until somewhere in March. Does the seat widening just mean that they paint different numbers on the seats, or is there more to it than that? Is all the handicapped work done? What will be done where the pressbox stood?
January 7th, 2010 at 7:13 PM ^
From those latest photos it looks like the Press Box was sitting directly on the ground, I was at the stadium this season and know the general layout but does the field really sit that low in the stadium?
January 7th, 2010 at 10:48 PM ^
The field does sit way below ground level and the pressbox was set into the seating but what may be deceptive about the pics is that where you see the new structure behind the pressbox you used to see sky - nothing was there. The top of the pressbox used to be the top of the stadium. Having the new structure looming behind makes the old pressbox look like it was sitting even lower than it was.
Also, sometime in the 80s the field was lowered even further, at least partially to improve sightlines in the lower seats. The wall surrounding the field used to be significantly shorter.
January 7th, 2010 at 11:32 PM ^
That would make sense
January 8th, 2010 at 9:42 AM ^
better idea of how low the field is, my dads seats are in section 6. when i a kid i used to look across to the student section and was able to see through one of the tunnel entrances and i could see cars driving by on main street...
January 7th, 2010 at 7:21 PM ^
Yes. It really does sit that low. They dug up a lot of earth when they constructed this stadium.
January 7th, 2010 at 8:05 PM ^
Knowing what UM considers a "seat"--I'm thinking there's 15,000 new butts that can be planted where that press box used to be.
PSL's, new concessions, holy crap. I should be in marketing.
January 7th, 2010 at 10:15 PM ^
5k max.
January 7th, 2010 at 8:37 PM ^
How I miss the fall.
January 7th, 2010 at 8:40 PM ^
site has a fantastic Michigan stadium history section. Yost had a big hole dug so that the facility could be expanded to hold 200,000 ppl. With a complete second bowl on top of our current bowl(think horse shoe fully enclosed). They had all kinds of problems with ground water due to springs and the hole filled in a few times with water. They say Yost had it redirected across the street and that's why UofM has a golf course.
In Ohio the buckeye radio honks just call it the "big hole in the ground", man they're cleveer.
January 7th, 2010 at 9:10 PM ^
seein all that history just bein ripped down...
January 7th, 2010 at 9:46 PM ^
when I go in the fall and not see the Ol' Press Box, but it will get pretty loud when OSU comes to town in 11'. The sound just echos off of the suites and back to the field. Can't wait to see the finished product.
January 7th, 2010 at 9:53 PM ^
But I thought the stadium noise was noticeably, uh, er, noisier this year with those boxes. There were times (lots of them) while watching on TV that the noise drowned out play by play. It was refreshing.
ANybody elts notice that?
January 7th, 2010 at 10:17 PM ^
The OSU game was pretty loud this year.
January 7th, 2010 at 10:58 PM ^
I don't understand what opposing fans are talking about when they say they can't see shit from the top rows! The picture taken from inside the suite was an incredible view! Not like OSU where the top row is in the outer atmosphere.
January 8th, 2010 at 12:02 AM ^
I still can't believe how the new structures dwarf the old press box. Seeing these photos just remind me of how massive the overhaul was. I think history will look favorably on Bill Martin's time as AD.