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HUNTINGTON -- Marshall University is considering a bond issue of approximately $50 million that would help fund several projects, including:
- Engineering Complex
- Fine arts incubator in downtown Huntington
- Indoor Athletic Facility - including an indoor track, a student athlete academic center and sports medicine research center
- New soccer stadium complex
- New four-level Parking Garage
This would be great for Huntington and Marshall for sure.
MU plan may include athletic facility - The Herald Dispatch (http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x584102436/MU-plan-may-include-athletic-facility - broken link)
Sorry, the link to the article appears to no longer work. They had the whole article posted and then made it a print exclusive. Here's a link to the summary though.
More news on this. It looks like they are planning to tear down the Veterans Memorial Field House for the soccer complex. This will give the Parks Distrcit a cash infusion and take care of what has almost become an eyesore. The Field House would have cost several million to fix up the way it needed to be and the amount/type of use it gets wouldn't justify that. This will likely help the Civic Arena out as well though because all of the events hosted at the Field House can now be moved to the Arena. Here's an exerpt and the article:
HUNTINGTON — The Veterans Memorial Field House property on 5th Avenue could become the new home for a Marshall University soccer stadium.
The proposed move also would give Marshall the space it needs to build a long-discussed indoor athletic practice facility and track next to Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
Marshall officials approached the Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District three weeks ago about acquiring the Field House property. The Park Board is expected to vote on the matter at its April 27 meeting.
BREAKING NEWS: Group Proposes Building New Marshall University Athletic Complex (http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/Group_Proposes_Building_Marshall_University_Athlet ic_Complex_120373729.html - broken link)
That's really great news. It's too bad the VMF couldn't be saved, but it was costing nearly $70,000 a year just to keep it running, and poorly at that. The roof is in really bad shape, and would probably cost a forture to replace.
Glad to see Marshall will be getting a new IPF and indoor track. I just hope they make the roof high enough to do the complete kicking game in there.
I hope everything that they are doing in Huntington right now maximizes facility use and is looking to the future by having this all planned out in how it fits into a bigger picture. It will be sad to see the Field House go but it is needed.
Is Fat Patty's moving too? The old 20th St Bar and Grill or Stoner's would be a great location for them. Is Marshall planning anything on that corner?
I had heard that Fat Patty's is moving but I didn't hear to what location. I would assume they would want to stay as close to campus as possible.
It would be nice to see MU acquire the rest of the property next to the current location of Fat Patty's, that is if Glaser Furniture will sale their building. They have been fighting to stay in their current location for years. That corner at 3rd Ave and 20th street would be ideal for parking or even an athletic building for the offices of the olympic sports at MU. That way the area they currently occupy in the Henderson Center could be redeveloped. If the building is built big enough, the MU athletic tutoring program, Buck Harless Student-Athlete Program, could be relocated.
The Alcan expansion, the new jobs coming to Kinetic Park, and now another major expansion at Marshall. If it all comes to fruition, what a great month this has been for Huntington! If Amazon does move to the tech park, I wonder what the prospects are for the reuse their existing sites downtown?
The deal at Kinetic Park has been signed but there has been no official confirmation that the business for this deal is Amazon.com, only speculation. There were a couple of other businesses that were in talks to build at Kinetic Park as well. One was a data center for the Rahall Transportation Institute for which they got a $7-8 million bond to do and the other was never announced. This deal was signed by a company from Cincinnatti to do the construction work on so I'm not sure what connection they would have to Amazon.
The buildings where Amazon was have a good shot at being filled as they are in more recently renovated buildings in or close to the central business district. Plus they say that a rising tide raises all ships and this may attract even more business to the area.
It has been a great month for Huntington for sure though. If all of the other projects that are being planned come to fruition as well, Huntington is looking to finally begin to realize its potential. There's still much to be done but things are definately on the upswing.
Funding for all of the planned facilities and upgrades was approved by the Marshall Board of Governors. They also released some of the design art for the IPF and Soccer Fields. These will be a great addition for Marshall and Huntington. Here are some articles and some of the pictures:
Marshall Votes In Funding for New Indoor Sports Practice Center (http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/PROOFMarshall_Votes_In_Funding_for_New_Indoor_Spor ts_Practice_Center_120899324.html - broken link)
To bad the much needed MU Baseball field couldn't have been included in these plans. I know that MU AD Mike Hamrick has some plans in the works for the baseball program but I have to think that the ballpark could have been included in the field house property along with the new soccer field. To accomplish this, the entire 2500 block between 25th and 26th streets would have to be purchased or obtained, not just the field house property.
I say this because the University of Pittsburgh just opened a new athletic complex that houses the softball, soccer and baseball programs ballparks/stadium in one location. U of Pitt's setup is very nice and if the same approach would be taken on the Field House property/block MU would have the needed soccer and baseball fields along with room for both programs locker rooms.
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