Off season arena thread

[Kirbs]

I’ve been wondering about moving the arena from the current location to the Old Capitol mall location for awhile so I asked Chat GPT.

From Chat GPT:
The comparison is surprisingly close:

• Old Capitol Town Center (formerly Old Capitol Mall) is about 375,000 square feet.
• Carver-Hawkeye Arena is about 213,412 square feet.

So:

• Difference: about 161,588 sq ft
• Ratio: Old Capitol Town Center is about 1.76× larger
• Percent larger: roughly 76% larger

For another way to picture it: Carver-Hawkeye Arena would fit inside Old Capitol Town Center with room left over equal to a medium-sized retail building.

my thoughts:
There’s parking adjacent-probably not enough. Can they relocate the education building? Go underground like Carver?

It would make the downtown/ped mall area really diversified and not just a place for college students to get hammered! I know there are restaurants now, and other businesses, but I’m guessing it’s still 75/25% young people getting hammered-especially in the evening.

 

[IACub]

There's already not enough parking downtown, plus they'd have to relocate the offices they have in the mall, not to mention kick more retail out of downtown. If they were going to move it anywhere, it should be off campus.

 

[J.Hawkeye]

If they were going to move it anywhere…

They aren’t.

 

[TrojanHawkeye]

They aren’t.

They should

 

[2432Hawk]

They should

you got an extra 150 million dollars to spare?

 

[Hawkangler]

I’ve been wondering about moving the arena from the current location to the Old Capitol mall location for awhile so I asked Chat GPT.

From Chat GPT:
The comparison is surprisingly close:

• Old Capitol Town Center (formerly Old Capitol Mall) is about 375,000 square feet.
• Carver-Hawkeye Arena is about 213,412 square feet.

So:

• Difference: about 161,588 sq ft
• Ratio: Old Capitol Town Center is about 1.76× larger
• Percent larger: roughly 76% larger

For another way to picture it: Carver-Hawkeye Arena would fit inside Old Capitol Town Center with room left over equal to a medium-sized retail building.

my thoughts:
There’s parking adjacent-probably not enough. Can they relocate the education building? Go underground like Carver?

It would make the downtown/ped mall area really diversified and not just a place for college students to get hammered! I know there are restaurants now, and other businesses, but I’m guessing it’s still 75/25% young people getting hammered-especially in the evening.

Using AI to do an analysis is your first mistake. Not taking cost is another. Carver is still viable with some remodeling.

 

[TrojanHawkeye]

you got an extra 150 million dollars to spare?

I have, like, half of that

 

[iahawkeyes17]

I’ve been wondering about moving the arena from the current location to the Old Capitol mall location for awhile so I asked Chat GPT.

From Chat GPT:
The comparison is surprisingly close:

• Old Capitol Town Center (formerly Old Capitol Mall) is about 375,000 square feet.
• Carver-Hawkeye Arena is about 213,412 square feet.

So:

• Difference: about 161,588 sq ft
• Ratio: Old Capitol Town Center is about 1.76× larger
• Percent larger: roughly 76% larger

For another way to picture it: Carver-Hawkeye Arena would fit inside Old Capitol Town Center with room left over equal to a medium-sized retail building.

my thoughts:
There’s parking adjacent-probably not enough. Can they relocate the education building? Go underground like Carver?

It would make the downtown/ped mall area really diversified and not just a place for college students to get hammered! I know there are restaurants now, and other businesses, but I’m guessing it’s still 75/25% young people getting hammered-especially in the evening.

With how much has been spent on the b-ball practice and new wrestling facility this would never happen anytime soon unless some billionaire decides to write the university a check.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

I used AI to project the cost of a 10,000 seat arena and removal of existing mall.

Final Expected Range: $325M – $525M​

Lean scenario (~$325M):​

• Reuse existing parking
• Minimal premium seating
• Basic finishes
• Clean demo with minimal abatement

Typical scenario (~$400M–$450M):​

• Some new parking
• Strong premium areas
• Full site redevelopment
• Moderate environmental issues

High‑end scenario (~$500M+):​

• New garages
• High‑end premium clubs
• Major site reconstruction
• Heavy abatement or soil issues

Yeah, that's not happening. Carver has many flaws and it may not be in the right place, but it would be a waste to replace it.

 

[10001110101]

Yeah, the Old Capital mall location would be the coolest place to put it, if the university could:

a) figure out a way to make the parking situation viable.

and

2) Afford it.

 

[EIHCGuy]

I would never go to a game if it was moved downtown Iowa City.

I'm unwilling to weaponize the privilege that I evidently have for being white

 

[fivecardstud14]

I would never go to a game if it was moved downtown Iowa City.

I'm unwilling to weaponize the privilege that I evidently have for being white

Yawn.

 

[rams32]

I would never go to a game if it was moved downtown Iowa City.

I'm unwilling to weaponize the privilege that I evidently have for being white

Dumb

 

[EIHCGuy]

Dumb

As dumb as "weaponizing privilege to save black lives" ??

 

[fivecardstud14]

As dumb as "weaponizing privilege to save black lives" ??

You still stuck in 2020? Where are your fellow “take it to the OT board” boys? I have an idea.

 

[J.Hawkeye]

As dumb as "weaponizing privilege to save black lives" ??

JFC

TAKE THIS **** ELSEWHERE. You’re a disgrace to the EIHC.

 

[Hawkmanic23]

Using AI to do an analysis is your first mistake. Not taking cost is another. Carver is still viable with some remodeling.

I thought AI was going to solve all our problems.

 

[EIHCGuy]

JFC

TAKE THIS **** ELSEWHERE. You’re a disgrace to the EIHC.

 

[gojojo]

There's already not enough parking downtown, plus they'd have to relocate the offices they have in the mall, not to mention kick more retail out of downtown. If they were going to move it anywhere, it should be off campus.

This x1000

Traffic DT is already a nightmare, imagine an arena down there with only 2 lanes of traffic.

Carver is wildly under appreciated. It hasn't been a wild atmosphere in there for men’s basketball for awhile as there has been very little to get hyped up about. That is changing.

Look back at games in the 80’s and 90’s, big wrestling meets, or women’s games recently. Carver isn't the issue.

 

[Nvhwk]

With it being downtown it would an experience to watch a game at a bar if you couldn’t get a ticket.

 

[OnlyTheObscure]

Any new arena done right would probably cost close to a billion dollars when you include infrastructure, property acquisition, and maybe even lawsuits from haters.

 

[Cidhawkeye]

I have, like, half of that

Can we talk about this time share opportunity?

 

[LetsGoHawks83]

Any new arena done right would probably cost close to a billion dollars when you include infrastructure, property acquisition, and maybe even lawsuits from haters.

Essentially... It's much more cost effective to make improvements to Carver, spend the money on players, and maybe develop an area for a few bars/restaurants closer to Carver/Kinnick.

I haven't been there lately, but did they not think of making the first floor of the new parking ramps have space for some bars/restaurants?

 

[BunchofAholes]

Essentially... It's much more cost effective to make improvements to Carver, spend the money on players, and maybe develop an area for a few bars/restaurants closer to Carver/Kinnick.

I haven't been there lately, but did they not think of making the first floor of the new parking ramps have space for some bars/restaurants?

It's called the Coralville strip. That's as close as you're going to get. The rest is campus.

I do think the Old Capital mall plot would be great (though it would be tight). Getting student attendance would be no problem. They'd be packed in and crazy. Knock attendance down to 12,000. The place would rock.

Parking wouldn't be that much worse. The adjacent ramp could be preserved. There's another ramp one block East and 3 surface lots just South.

But...the design mistake called CHA is going to be around for awhile. Don't fool yourself.

 

[Nvhwk]

It's called the Coralville strip. That's as close as you're going to get. The rest is campus.

I do think the Old Capital mall plot would be great (though it would be tight). Getting student attendance would be no problem. They'd be packed in and crazy. Knock attendance down to 12,000. The place would rock.

Parking wouldn't be that much worse. The adjacent ramp could be preserved. There's another ramp one block East and 3 surface lots just South.

But...the design mistake called CHA is going to be around for awhile. Don't fool yourself.

Downtown is pretty much closer to kinnick than the strip and more selection

 

[BunchofAholes]

Downtown is pretty much closer to kinnick than the strip and more selection

Kinnick yes, CHA is closer to the Wig & Pen and The Vine.

Either way, you're not getting bars/restaurants any closer to Carver/Kinnick than they already are (which was his suggestion). It's all campus or residentially zoned.

 

[HawkBot]

Using AI to do an analysis is your first mistake. Not taking cost is another. Carver is still viable with some remodeling.

Spot on about AI. Whether Claude, Perplexity, or ChatGPT I have busted them on many errors. When you call them out on it their responses are illuminating to say the least.

At the end of the day they are just a faster, than you or me, aggregator of online content. However, if what they are sourcing is erroneous then it's GIGO - Garbage In Garbage Out.

To me the bigger problem is people treating these AI outputs as the end-all-be-all, as in what AI says is the final answer. Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

[Cidhawkeye]

Essentially... It's much more cost effective to make improvements to Carver, spend the money on players, and maybe develop an area for a few bars/restaurants closer to Carver/Kinnick.

I haven't been there lately, but did they not think of making the first floor of the new parking ramps have space for some bars/restaurants?

They had conversations about that space but people were not interested. My guess is there are some significant challenges with making that space work.

 

[SA_Hawk]

 

[TampaHawkFan]

From what I'm seeing so far, looks like a missed opportunity to change things up. Like at all. Other than no more parquet, it looks like the same old black floor with the "Iowa" font that we already have been seeing on the jerseys, the football field, etc. Never really been a big fan of that font if I'm being honest, but apparently it's the official university font.

Doesn't give me much hope that the jerseys are going to really look any different than we've seen in recent years, either. Fine i guess, but.. Yawn. Just was hoping for a fresh look.

 

[twindman]

I have, like, half of that

You must have missed the 'million' part!

 

[hawkeyemark18]

From what I'm seeing so far, looks like a missed opportunity to change things up. Like at all. Other than no more parquet, it looks like the same old black floor with the "Iowa" font that we already have been seeing on the jerseys, the football field, etc. Never really been a big fan of that font if I'm being honest, but apparently it's the official university font.

Doesn't give me much hope that the jerseys are going to really look any different than we've seen in recent years, either. Fine i guess, but.. Yawn. Just was hoping for a fresh look.

I think it matters more what they do with the seating arrangement. Beth has talked about replacing the bowl and installing luxury boxes to get the students surrounding the court. Don't know if we still have that in the works or if the floor represents the first phase of the project.

I think the floor looks fine BTW. Didn't expect any major changes.

 

[SA_Hawk]

From what I'm seeing so far, looks like a missed opportunity to change things up. Like at all. Other than no more parquet, it looks like the same old black floor with the "Iowa" font that we already have been seeing on the jerseys, the football field, etc. Never really been a big fan of that font if I'm being honest, but apparently it's the official university font.

Doesn't give me much hope that the jerseys are going to really look any different than we've seen in recent years, either. Fine i guess, but.. Yawn. Just was hoping for a fresh look.

Yep. Was hopeful to see a return to gold lanes but if the product on the floor is excellent I can live with it.

Always wondered what a half and half paint scheme would look like. One lane gold the other black.

 

[RuggieC]

Just saw this on X this morning regarding the rennovation project

 

[RuggieC]

https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/2026/06/08/iowa-athletics-carver-hawkeye-arena-basketball-wrestling-beth-goetz/90458694007/

 

[RuggieC]

btw I agree we don't need almost 15,000 seats. We need a comfortable environment for most, and a place where big money can have a club seat, and a place where students can hover the floor and harass the competitors. I believe you can do all of this and have 13,000 which of full would be pretty damn loud in there.

 

[DukeSlater]

I have no idea what the specifics of the renovation are and, apparently, the university isn't anxious to make those details public. It would make sense that they're waiting to release those until they have formal approval from the mighty ones on the Board of Regents. But if it were up to me, I'd turn the seating area into a rectangle instead of a bowl, something like the old Field House or Kinnick Stadium. The bottom 10 rows or so should be student seating around the entire arena, and it should be free--first come, first served, like they do at Duke and other institutions. Make Iowa basketball, men's and women's, the place for students to be.

And, of course, there must be fancy accommodations for the one-percenters who never should have to rub shoulders with us peasants. Put them up top in luxury boxes, like at Kinnick, and leave the lower seats for the real fans who want to be there to make noise and support the teams instead of just showing up to be seen by their fellow lords and ladies.

Letting students in free would more than be made up for by soaking those one-percenters who love to pay big to promote themselves and their rightful place in the order of things.

Walling off the concourse would significantly enhance the noise by keeping it inside the building. A/C must be added. Even though the facility is well below ground level, the cooling effect of that location is more than offset by the 12,000+ warm bodies who will attend events there.

If it's done right, it'll be exciting to see this ugly duckling turn into a lovely swan, one that opponents will quickly learn to dread. The changes are way overdue.

 

[Franisdaman]

The proposed CHA renovation project, estimated between $50 million and $70 million, would be funded entirely through private gifts and completed in carefully sequenced phases potentially over two years to minimize disruption during athletic seasons and major events.

Planned improvements include additional premium seating options and club space, upgrades throughout the concourse, concessions, restrooms, and seating bowl, with a strong emphasis on improved accessibility and fan comfort and enhanced game-day atmosphere.

Together, these upgrades would modernize Carver-Hawkeye Arena to meet the evolving needs of Hawkeye Athletics while strengthening its role as a vibrant gathering place for students, alumni, and the broader community.

"This initiative began with a feasibility study in 2023, and due to the incredible success of our silent leadership fundraising campaign, we are prepared to take this exciting next step," said Beth Goetz. "Recent improvements like the student section risers and new court have shown what's possible. These renovations will take that next step - making events more exciting, more comfortable, and ensuring we preserve the intimidating atmosphere that helps our teams compete at the highest level."

While the project may result in a modest reduction from the arena's current seating capacity of 14,995, the redesigned space would offer a wider range of seating, viewing, and premium experiences that better reflect how fans engage with live events today.