New Stadium at Northeastern?

[Tribefan]

Does anyone have any info on the status of a new stadium for Northeastern? I am aware that the school has the land to do it, but is this going to happen? And if so, what is the desired capacity?

[bluehenbillk]

I certainly hope so, it's the only A-10 venue I won't goto, just on principle alone.

[Husky Alum]

Expect an announcement after the Mayoral elections in Boston.

Typical with anything in our fine city, there's politics involved.

Once our jack-a-s-s of a Mayor is reelected (I think he's running virtually unopposed), you'll hear more details on the "on campus student athletic facility".

It's supposed to have about 8,000 seats and will actually be ON campus. It will be used for football, and the inevitable (and much needed) lacrosse teams. However, the footprint will not be wide enough for soccer.

For those of you who have been to NU's campus, the stadium will wedge in where a current field parking lot is, off of Columbus Avenue, on the other side of the tracks from the Curry Student Center.

bhbk - you've GOT to come to NU next year just to experience Parsons. It will likely be the last time the Hens play there. We'll show you a REAL good time. Ask those posters who have stopped by the tailgate we throw before home games, you won't be disappointed. (You may laugh at the field, but you won't laugh at the spread).

[henfan]

I'll be there next year, Husky Alum. I've been to Parsons Field and we had to tailgate on the street.

Had a buddy that played for NU back in the early '80's. The coaches pitched a new stadium to him when they recruited him 25 years ago. Hopefully, NU will finally get the thing built.

[Umass74]

The building of a new stadium for Northeastern has gone through a number of interations.

Several UMass assistant coaches have gone on to be head coach at Northeastern. The Husky administration has a history of promising a new facility to new coaches.

I've even seen some stadium plans with a field over a parking complex (Husky Alum, do you remember those?).

AFAIK, Northeastearn has never made a serious attempt to build a new facility. Husky Fan, do you think they are serious this time? If so, why?

[89Hen]

Here's where NU used to play....

[Husky Alum]

89Hen, what's that?

Doesn't look like Parsons Field to me. That's Nickerson Field, where BU used to play - actually that's probably a pretty old picture because the baseball grandstand doesn't exist any more, except for the section of stands on the home side of the football field.

My dad went to Northeastern in 1960 and he showed me a brochure talking about a new football stadium back then. One of the deans at NU has a full color pen and ink drawing made in 1958 showing the "Northeastern Master Campus Plan" and on it is a 15,000 seat football stadium - ironically where the proposed stadium will be built.

It's always been NU's nirvana, but this time, I'm pretty sure it's going to happen.

The money has been raised, all that we need is the blessing of the Mayor.

Henfan, you're more than welcome to join our 'gate next year. No need to bring anything.

UMass74 - I've seen numerous iterations of plans since I've been associated with the school in the late 80s. The popular one when I was in school was to do a 5,000 seat Georgetown type facility on top of Cabot Gym. This stadium will go NEXT to the parking structure you're referring to.

Hey, it took them 30 years to build the new Boston Garden - so we're talking slow progress here.

[RatboyNU]

Boston is all about politics in order for NU to build on there own property the mayor because hes a complete deuschebag forces NU to build something in turn for the community. For example NU put up these beautiful dorms on Columbus Ave worth millions that raised real estate and the surrounding areas due to its fine architecture and just for getting the permits to do this the mayor force NU to build the community of Roxbury an entire apartment complex on the other side of these dormitories that was probabaly half the cost of the dorms built. Everythings an eye for the eye in this city and the way things are going now the city of Boston is opposed to Northeastern building anything after the whole Super Bowl incident.

[Husky Alum]

Ratboy's got a point here - let me elaborate

NU is expanding its campus on the "other side" of the subway/train tracks that used to border (and now bifurcates) the campus.

Because NU had the foresight in the early 1990s to buy a large portion of land in this area (also know as Lower Roxbury), it got very good parcels of land cheaply from minority owners.

Once LoRo begane to "turn" (when I was in school it was a terrible place to live as there were - and still are housing projects, etc.) in the late 1990s, NU decided to build up the area it owned and expand its previously constrained campus.

In order for NU to build something to benefit the school, it had to do things to appease the community leaders as it was seen as NU was taking low income housing and making it higher priced university housing.

NU build a couple of apartment buildings where local residents live on lower floors and NU students live on upper floors, with separate entrances, etc.

To make matters worse, the school got a bad (and partially deserved) rap during the Super Bowl celebrations for the Pats as a large group of NU students celebrated in an unruly manner. Unrelated, but on the same night a drunk driver (a non-NU student) went the wrong way down a one way street adjacent to NU's campus and killed an non-NU student who was out celebrating and who had family that was a State Trooper - but the media played it up as there were riots on NU's campus and someone was killed as a result.

So the Mayor has the University minding its p's and q's and has to wait for the Mayor to get re-elected before anything can happen.

It got to the point that during the 2004 ALCS and World Series the Mayor threatened the school that it wouldn't allow any further LoRo development if there was another incident on campus.

[89Hen]

89Hen, what's that?

Doesn't look like Parsons Field to me. That's Nickerson Field, where BU used to play - actually that's probably a pretty old picture because the baseball grandstand doesn't exist any more, except for the section of stands on the home side of the football field.
Damn, you're right. I've had that picture on my computer for a couple of years and forgot that it was BU's old home. :o

[Marcus Garvey]

Here's where NU used to play....

That must be real old if the baseball infield is still in the pic. The Braves left for Milwaukee during Spring Training of '53. (How'd you like that as a fan? Get geared up for the season, and then have your team move a month before openeing day!).

If I recall correctly from what I've read, Boston U. (who bought Braves Field from the team) and the newly formed Boston Patriots renovated it pretty much into it's current configuration. It proved too small for the Pats, who moved to Fenway after about 3 seasons playing in Nickerson.

I guess that means the covered infield grandstand was still standing until 1960. Does anyone know where I find more photos of Braves/Nickerson Field configured for football pre-1960?

[89Hen]

Does anyone know where I find more photos of Braves/Nickerson Field configured for football pre-1960?
Not many on the web. BTW, interesting note, from 1915-27 the Braves centerfield measured 550 feet in the deepest part and it was 402 down each corner. :eek:

[Husky Alum]

Actually I'll get you guys a link to some Boston Public Library Archive photos that have GREAT images of Boston's sports fields/arenas dating back to the 1890s.

I believe there are photos of Braves Field being built AND being taken down so Nickerson could be built.

The Braves' old ticket office on Babcock Street still stands and is the home of the bu ticket office.

[Marcus Garvey]

Actually I'll get you guys a link to some Boston Public Library Archive photos that have GREAT images of Boston's sports fields/arenas dating back to the 1890s.

I believe there are photos of Braves Field being built AND being taken down so Nickerson could be built.

The Braves' old ticket office on Babcock Street still stands and is the home of the bu ticket office.

I was at the last BU home footbal game. It was raining like a cow pi$$ing on a flat rock. I only lasted until halftime. I had an umbrella and raincoat, but my feet and lower legs were drenched.

[Husky Alum]

Here's the link I was talking about...

Enjoy...

http://www.bpl.org/sportstemples/default.htm