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Possible Vines Center Renovation??

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 1:15 pm
by bigsmooth
i was talking with a fellow flames club member at the pre-game dinner last night and he sais this summer the vines is undergoing a major renovation...all new seats!!!! and other things which he did not know. he said this was very reliable, so some in the know hoops people see what you can find out. BTW this man was probably in his 60's and he asked me if i went to flamefans.com! he said he goes to our site for all LU sports info!

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 1:19 pm
by PAmedic
if they install those leather recliners I've been asking for, let me know

I may have to try to get down more often.

any chance they can start playing home games at the Palestra? That would be more convienient for me.

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 1:22 pm
by thepostman
wow....I am very happy to hear about this...I wonder how extensive these renovations will be....new seats are really needed though, so that is very good news..

I wonder what else they will have in store...

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 1:25 pm
by PAmedic
Upper level w/ suites? 8)

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 1:34 pm
by LUconn
So maybe we'll get an accurate color of blue in there. Well I suppose the color that's in there now used to be accurate. But maybe we can get like alternating colors of chairs like they have in UCF's new arena. It seems somewhat random in their setup but it looks pretty sharp.
Image

Hey, if nothing else they could replace all of the seats with the newer style ones that they have in the student section and it would look 100 times better. Now if we can squeeze a more appropriate color of paint for the concourse in the budget, then we're talking.

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 1:36 pm
by thepostman
and i know this seems so very minor...but they should do something with the bathrooms...I really don't like them...or the ones at Williams to be honest...

hearing about this has me exciting to hear about exactly what they are going to do...

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 1:37 pm
by PAmedic
be glad you HAVE bathrooms.

back in my day- we crapped our pants and were THANKFUL we HAD pants (which we sewed ourselves)

:oldhag

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 1:40 pm
by thepostman
haha....sorry..what was I thinking...forget I said anything!! :D

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 2:08 pm
by El Scorcho
I'm not usually the pessimistic one around here, but I would not be surprised if the new seats are smaller or a little more packed in. The Vines is pretty stretched for seating when it comes to Convo and things like that. Maybe not, but I'm just saying.

Either way, the place could definitely use a facelift, some botox and a few other nip/tucks too. Any changes (especially interior paint) will be welcomed by me.

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 2:48 pm
by JDUB
with how squeezed for seating it is, i just don't understand why they don't put seats at the top where those rows are missing.

if i get to convo late (which i normally do), sometimes i can't sit in my section and have to sit behind the stage b/c those are the only empty seats.

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 2:59 pm
by Cider Jim
JB & RM should take a drive up to Charlottesville to check out the seats in the new John Paul Jones Arena: they are more comfortable than the Lazy-Boy recliner that I have at the house. And take Coach Rocco with you so he can recommend a good restaurant.

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 3:31 pm
by TDDance234
I hope the seats are RED. Probably won't be because it would be hard on the eyes for convo tapings, however, it would be pretty freakin sweet. Maybe just the student section red with the rest of Vines covered in blue?

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 3:35 pm
by Sly Fox
I've thought for some time that it would be cool to have red seats at the bottom and blue at the top with a pattern of red that resembles fire with embers going up (utilizing a similar but more effective concept to the UCF pic).

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 3:39 pm
by whmatthews
Hold convo in Thomas Road and put no seats in the Vines so everyone stands up for basketball games.

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 3:46 pm
by Cider Jim
Do the math, Matthews: TRBC holds 6,000 and we have 10,400 students. :dontgetit

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 3:53 pm
by sweetnahmah1
great idea matthews, do it anyways

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 4:26 pm
by Cider Jim
The big money :oldhag Flames Club Baptists who are dropping $500 to $250 for premium parking are certainly going to want comfortable seats, not a piece of '90s concrete to stand on. :banghead

But by all means, remove all the seats from the student section so the season ticket holders can have more comfortable seats on the Baptist side. :nod

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 4:29 pm
by Fumblerooskies
CJ...any truth to the rumor that the Vines was a rush job to be ready for the first Super Conference? It is as poorly designed arena set-up as I have ever seen.

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 4:31 pm
by Sly Fox
We had Super Conferences in the old Liberty Gym, er, Schilling back before Vines opened up. But yes, it was a rush and at the time the ravine was the only quickly accessible location.

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 4:36 pm
by Cider Jim
Not sure, Fumble, but in those days, resources were limited, and we probably went the economy route when we could: the best selling point in those days was that the seating would have backs on them, instead of just sitting on the bleachers like we had in Schilling. JF loved to mention that the Vines Center seated more than U-Hall in Charlottesville and Cassell in Blacksburg (but to get quantity, maybe we had to sacrifice a little in quality).

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 5:26 pm
by SuperJon
Sly Fox wrote:I've thought for some time that it would be cool to have red seats at the bottom and blue at the top with a pattern of red that resembles fire with embers going up (utilizing a similar but more effective concept to the UCF pic).
I hate that idea because I hate the fire stuff. Instead, red seats with Liberty Flames spelled out in blue seats throughout them or vise versa.

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 5:36 pm
by ATrain
I like SJ's idea...VCU does it with their black and gold colors to spell RAMS on one side and VCU on the other...

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 7:29 pm
by jcmanson
We all know new chairs are much needed. I'm also hoping they get more lights, or brighter lights, and perhaps, if it's even possible, construct a wall that closes in the seats/court with a concourse going around the ouside. That would really help hold in some noise, and make it look more upscale.

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 7:33 pm
by The Dude
thepostman wrote:and i know this seems so very minor...but they should do something with the bathrooms...I really don't like them...or the ones at Williams to be honest...
=

Yeah, they need to do something abou the bathrooms, if only it's posting some signs.

After graduation last May I went into the mens bathroom and three graduates were urinating in that round sink, at the same time.

Funniest thing I've ever seen on campus.

Posted: January 20th, 2008, 7:42 pm
by El Scorcho
jcmanson wrote:I'm also hoping they get more lights, or brighter lights...
:nod :exactly :nod

More/brighter light in the Vines Center would be a HUGE help for photographers. Even with my f/1.8 50mm lens wide open I was having to shoot volleyball at ISO 1600 back in the fall.

If anyone important is reading this, pleeeeeease make this happen. :) People like me who can't afford super expensive lenses would be ever so grateful.