Is there a fieldhouse preservation group?

Hawknick said:
The renovation should cost less than new construction. Plus it would save a huge piece of history. The huge space even after phase 1 could be used for so much more. A backup to CHA, basketball practice, it could be rented out for events too. It is designed to be versatile.
Click to expand...

A backup to CHA? When has there been a need to have a backup to CHA since it opened? I believe the next time wil be the first time.
 
Hawknick said:
We got by all this time without a hospital expansion we will get by in the future also. On the other hand the fieldhouse has served the people of Iowa in so many ways that it deserves better than a wrecking ball. Let the hospital use it's land and let the fieldhouse use it's land.
Click to expand...

You seem to think a hospital expansion is just a whim, like wanting to paint the hospital water tower black and gold and putting a tiger hawk on it. I don't know for sure, but I would assume they want to expand now and they haven't before because they will make money by doing so and they wouldn't have before.
 
Thawki said:
A backup to CHA? When has there been a need to have a backup to CHA since it opened? I believe the next time wil be the first time.
Click to expand...

Currently, there is still a need in the athletic department for the Field House. The gymnastics teams both use it for practices. Not exactly a backup, but rather a primary facility at the moment.
 
tm3308 said:
Currently, they are only taking out the hallway between the basketball courts and the swimming pool. That's being turned into an entrance alley to the hospital.

As for the rest of the building, it will remain until the hospital needs the land for further expansion. There aren't any plans for such expansion right now, and not for the foreseeable future at this point (they're pretty occupied with expansion on the other side of the hospital at the moment). If/when such plans are put into motion, they'll break ground on the second phase of the rec center, which will include more basketball courts along with badminton/racquetball courts and another pool.

That's all info I got from Harry Ostrander, the director of rec services, when I was working on my Field House story last year.

Edit: Speak of the devil^.
Click to expand...

The Hospital is spending $3 BILLION on 3 towers (1 being the childrens hospital)in the future, I dont think they are too concerned with the Fieldhouse at this moment...
 
tm3308 said:
Currently, they are only taking out the hallway between the basketball courts and the swimming pool. That's being turned into an entrance alley to the hospital.

As for the rest of the building, it will remain until the hospital needs the land for further expansion. There aren't any plans for such expansion right now, and not for the foreseeable future at this point (they're pretty occupied with expansion on the other side of the hospital at the moment). If/when such plans are put into motion, they'll break ground on the second phase of the rec center, which will include more basketball courts along with badminton/racquetball courts and another pool.

That's all info I got from Harry Ostrander, the director of rec services, when I was working on my Field House story last year.

Edit: Speak of the devil^.
Click to expand...

H8IAST8 said:
The Hospital is spending $3 BILLION on 3 towers (1 being the childrens hospital)in the future, I dont think they are too concerned with the Fieldhouse at this moment...
Click to expand...

What, in any of the bolded above, suggests I'm not well aware of that?

EVENTUALLY, the hospital will want to use that land. Maybe not in 5 years, maybe not in 10. But they will take it eventually.
 
Its not fun having to take down a building like this but when space is an issue you have to weigh pros and cons. One reason I like old farms is because a lot of times they leave the old barns up even when they dont serve a purpose.Even though they are half leaning over waiting for the next big wind to knock them down they are like art work. The most maintained property can have a half fallen over barn with peeling paint, broken windows, and crumbling stonework and still look beautiful.
 
Hawknick said:
We got by all this time without a hospital expansion we will get by in the future also. On the other hand the fieldhouse has served the people of Iowa in so many ways that it deserves better than a wrecking ball. Let the hospital use it's land and let the fieldhouse use it's land.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately the demand for hospital space is growing much more rapidly than the demand for historical preservation as baby boomers reach ages when more healthcare attention is needed. Its a sad reality of life when progress >> history.
 
tm3308 said:
Currently, there is still a need in the athletic department for the Field House. The gymnastics teams both use it for practices. Not exactly a backup, but rather a primary facility at the moment.
Click to expand...
And that small back room at the FH for the gymnastics teams is horribly insufficient for those teams to practice at. I've set up the floor there a couple times (now the floor is permanent there since they utilize CHA for their meets) and it is VERY small, especially for two respected teams. Small for a B10 school, too.

Maybe when these implement Phase 2 of the CRWC they could have those temporary bleachers for volleyball and gymnastics. Or the CRWC could host more practices for sports teams. A problem CHA has now is you have the basketball (M & W), wrestling, gymnastics (M & W), and volleyball teams who use it for practices and/or meets/games. There are scheduling conflicts and not enough time for anything else.

I'm a current student at Iowa and there have been zero events outside of sports at the arena during my time here. I'm aware this always hasn't been the case. Iowa City should be a concert destination for events with up to 10,000 fans. Just an example of some recent concerts at Assembly Hall in Champaign, which is a comparable market: Bob Dylan, Lupe Fiasco, Kid Cudi, Chili Peppers. IC could have that, and has before... CHA has had U2, GNR, and John Mayer among others in the past. IC has a great music scene for smaller venues but utilizing CHA (or even the new Hancher) could bring in much more money for the University. And it's a great benefit for the student body as well. The IMU is a limited venue and the acoustics there are pretty crappy.
 
That is the kinds of things that I was thinking off for the fh main and north gyms. Practice space when CHA is being used by another team. With the rec center now available I would look into knocking down walls for more space for sports such as gymnastics. Useing it for concerts could also help with the funds.
 
libertyhawkeye said:
And that small back room at the FH for the gymnastics teams is horribly insufficient for those teams to practice at. I've set up the floor there a couple times (now the floor is permanent there since they utilize CHA for their meets) and it is VERY small, especially for two respected teams. Small for a B10 school, too.

Maybe when these implement Phase 2 of the CRWC they could have those temporary bleachers for volleyball and gymnastics. Or the CRWC could host more practices for sports teams. A problem CHA has now is you have the basketball (M & W), wrestling, gymnastics (M & W), and volleyball teams who use it for practices and/or meets/games. There are scheduling conflicts and not enough time for anything else.

I'm a current student at Iowa and there have been zero events outside of sports at the arena during my time here. I'm aware this always hasn't been the case. Iowa City should be a concert destination for events with up to 10,000 fans. Just an example of some recent concerts at Assembly Hall in Champaign, which is a comparable market: Bob Dylan, Lupe Fiasco, Kid Cudi, Chili Peppers. IC could have that, and has before... CHA has had U2, GNR, and John Mayer among others in the past. IC has a great music scene for smaller venues but utilizing CHA (or even the new Hancher) could bring in much more money for the University. And it's a great benefit for the student body as well. The IMU is a limited venue and the acoustics there are pretty crappy.
Click to expand...

From what I've heard, it might be more than simply insufficient. I've heard rumors that it's just straight up not safe, and having been in there a few times, I don't have a lot of trouble believing that. They need new facilities pretty badly, and they are currently the only program with such poor facilities and no plans for new ones. Duane Banks is becoming obsolete, but there are already plans in place to build new digs for baseball, softball and track as part of a new sports complex.
 
OUTofTOWNHAWK said:
Its not fun having to take down a building like this but when space is an issue you have to weigh pros and cons. One reason I like old farms is because a lot of times they leave the old barns up even when they dont serve a purpose.Even though they are half leaning over waiting for the next big wind to knock them down they are like art work. The most maintained property can have a half fallen over barn with peeling paint, broken windows, and crumbling stonework and still look beautiful.
Click to expand...

While old barns are beautiful, this is in the middle of Iowa City and the campus of the UofI, not a barn in the country. Space is at a premium. As a current UI undergrad, and at the risk of sounding like someone ignorant to the history of the FH, I wouldn't really miss it that much. I don't know what the FH looked like inside back when the Hawks were playing there, but I've been inside now, and it's not much, I don't feel any "ghosts" of old hawkeyes there, honestly. Sure I like the building for it's old-timey appeal and knowing that the Hawks did marvels in there, but all it's really good to me now for is that it has a lot of basketball courts I can play pick-up games at
 
You said:
I have always thought Iowa should have kept a smaller gym (like a renovated fieldhouse) as a smaller venue for volleyball, even women's basketball. A small 2,500 or 5,000 seat gym would be a lot better for some sports.

I also think trying to save the fieldhouse is an exercise in futility. The UIHC is big, and growing. Pretty soon it will probably wrap around Kinnick.
Click to expand...


I've seen some nice old facilities used for gymnastics, like at Stanford. It would be nice to renovate in the way they have. Practice is in a new addition that is really nice. And the old fieldhouse is used for the meets.
 
Last edited:
FRANAMANIAC said:
While old barns are beautiful, this is in the middle of Iowa City and the campus of the UofI, not a barn in the country. Space is at a premium. As a current UI undergrad, and at the risk of sounding like someone ignorant to the history of the FH, I wouldn't really miss it that much. I don't know what the FH looked like inside back when the Hawks were playing there, but I've been inside now, and it's not much, I don't feel any "ghosts" of old hawkeyes there, honestly. Sure I like the building for it's old-timey appeal and knowing that the Hawks did marvels in there, but all it's really good to me now for is that it has a lot of basketball courts I can play pick-up games at
Click to expand...


I agree 100% through time in the city you must make choices of what buildings can stay what serves purpose.
 
tm3308 said:
What, in any of the bolded above, suggests I'm not well aware of that?

EVENTUALLY, the hospital will want to use that land. Maybe not in 5 years, maybe not in 10. But they will take it eventually.
Click to expand...

Relax tough guy I was agreeing with you.
 
tm3308 said:
From what I've heard, it might be more than simply insufficient. I've heard rumors that it's just straight up not safe, and having been in there a few times, I don't have a lot of trouble believing that. They need new facilities pretty badly, and they are currently the only program with such poor facilities and no plans for new ones. Duane Banks is becoming obsolete, but there are already plans in place to build new digs for baseball, softball and track as part of a new sports complex.
Click to expand...
With the gymnastics, here is a pic of their facility at the FH- http://www.dailyiowan.com/2009/07/23/Photo/01-072209-gymnasticscamp5-small.jpg

That deck up top is where they do that running vault thing. It's very narrow and enclosed by wooden a wooden barrier. When the women's team practiced up there that one time I worked I was very startled they actually did that vault up there. And the floor there is surrounded by mats, no room for space to walk between. Also, random, but gymnastics women are pretty good looking...

What new sports complex are you referring to? Sounds very interesting. There's a bunch of space by the Rec Fields the University could use. That's where the marching band will practice in the future too.
 
Sad news. I grew up in the FH. My Dad played handball there and i would run the building. 1st time I saw the Globetrotters was in the FH. For wrestling meets it was a fantastic place. Man, would it get loud. Intramural basketball games. Classes.
I enjoyed pointing it out to my wife and kids when we watched Coach.

Ah, memories.

Gonna miss you, old fella.
 
libertyhawkeye said:
With the gymnastics, here is a pic of their facility at the FH- http://www.dailyiowan.com/2009/07/23/Photo/01-072209-gymnasticscamp5-small.jpg

That deck up top is where they do that running vault thing. It's very narrow and enclosed by wooden a wooden barrier. When the women's team practiced up there that one time I worked I was very startled they actually did that vault up there. And the floor there is surrounded by mats, no room for space to walk between. Also, random, but gymnastics women are pretty good looking...

What new sports complex are you referring to? Sounds very interesting. There's a bunch of space by the Rec Fields the University could use. That's where the marching band will practice in the future too.
Click to expand...

No ground has been broken for it, but Barta has talked about a new complex for baseball, softball and track, I believe with all three facilities grouped together, freeing up space for more parking or other facilities around Kinnick.

Facilities, history at root of Iowa baseball issues | TheGazette
 
I have also heard rumblings of gymnastics moving to Jacobsen after the football offices are completed. Obviously Jacobsen would have to be completely renovated for the gymnastics teams, but that's just what I have heard.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top