Downtown arena a key investment

Is downtown Kalamazoo a point of interest and pride or just a landmark for Western Michigan University students? That is the question currently being asked by proponents of the idea for a new downtown arena.

Historically, WMU and downtown have been relatively separate entities. Even with such attractions as the Rave theater, many students rarely go downtown.

There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which relates to transportation and the ease with which students can get to and from downtown in a timely, affordable fashion.

Those are issues that take on a new meaning when we begin considering moving our basketball and hockey teams downtown.

The arena itself is not a WMU project. Arcadia Commons West, a committee appointed by the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners, is leading the way in exploring this potential boon for downtown activity. The project is quite literally still on the drawing board, but the goals and principles behind it, as well as some of the costs, are already clear.

At present, there is no large concert or event venue in Kalamazoo, the closest thing being Miller Auditorium on campus. Miller seats just shy of 3,500 people, and, as those who attended the recent Boys Like Girls concert already know, you’re going to spend the show in your seat (or at least standing in front of it).

By contrast, the proposed arena would have an estimated 6,800 maximum occupancy and considerable floor space for general admission tickets.

That could make Kalamazoo a viable stop for major touring bands and shows, something that students currently find themselves driving to Grand Rapids for. On the sports front there is a lot for WMU to gain and little to lose. WMU is not being asked to invest any capital into the construction of the arena.

That means our basketball and hockey teams would both get a state of the art facility to replace the aging Lawson and University Arenas essentially for free. That is a great recruiting tool for coaches who say WMU’s hockey and basketball programs will soon begin to suffer as a result of poor facilities that the school cannot afford to renovate.

The new arena would be strictly a “game space” meaning practices would still be held at the old arena. It would also be shared with the Kalamazoo Wings hockey team. At this time, it is fully intended that students would continue to get into games for free even at the new venue.

Half of the land the arena would be constructed on is owned by the University. The current site of a parking lot, ownership returns to the state if WMU does not do something with it within the next few years.

The strongest case to be made for the arena is one of promoting connectivity between broader Kalamazoo and Western Michigan University’s campus.

WMU’s basketball and hockey games have two things in common. They both have traditionally low attendance and are strictly campus events.

It is not easy for members of the community to attend WMU sporting events held in Lawson or University Arena, and students without an intimate connection to these sports or teams have little incentive to attend games.

Moving to a downtown arena could change all of that. If games are downtown it becomes an easy, cheap night out for city residents.

One can imagine students making an evening of it. Go downtown early for dinner, do some shopping, attend the hockey game, and maybe head over to nearby Shakespeare’s Pub to celebrate a WMU victory afterword.

That’s really at the heart of what this project is all about, building a sense of community and connectedness between Kalamazoo and Western Michigan University.

It offers an opportunity to address long standing issues which revolve around getting students to and from downtown in a way that is both cheap and safe, and would raise awareness among community residents regarding all of the great things that happen over at WMU.

The hope is that someday everyone who attends school at WMU will say “it’s located in Kalamazoo,” not merely as a reference for directions but as a key point for explaining why going to WMU is such a great choice.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=11212

Posted by heraldstaff on Nov 1 2009. Filed under Editorial, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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