DePaul Purchasing Riverfront Property

[JWags85]

Finkl Steel deal fell through. The current property is owned by Morton Salt. It was described to me as being the "dome shaped" building on the river.

I'll wait to see what details come out.  The building with Morton on the side isn't dome shaped, its got two long peaks.  And that space doesn't seem big enough for an arena, much less any related infrastructure.

[drewm88]

Loyola has put a higher emphasis on athletics over the past year or so. They've cleaned house in the department, added a new workout/office facility adjacent to their arena, and renovated the arena. They are definitely headed in the right direction. On top of that, I've heard they own property near their downtown campus that could eventually be used for a very adequate arena (10k+).

That being said, they have a long way to go. If DePaul stays stagnant for the next 10 years while Loyola builds off what they've started and grows at a best-case-scenario rate, and the BE is magically still around, then it's a conversation to have. In the meantime, it's not.

[MarsupialMadness]

I'll wait to see what details come out.  The building with Morton on the side isn't dome shaped, its got two long peaks.  And that space doesn't seem big enough for an arena, much less any related infrastructure.

[Blue Horseshoe]

With that space you could fit something around the size of the AL. Parking would be a big question mark.

[MU82]

The Loyola stuff makes for fun give and take on this board, but Loyola will never, ever be joining the Big East.

[JWags85]

With that space you could fit something around the size of the AL. Parking would be a big question mark.

Exactly, and exactly where I was thinking.  Short of redirecting Elston, it just doesn't seem like enough space?

[Benny B]

Exactly, and exactly where I was thinking.  Short of redirecting Elston, it just doesn't seem like enough space?

Exactly the reason I was thinking that Morton must own some more land in the area.  The only "dome" I see is the salt barn which isn't exactly riverfront and a building on Goose Island, which is a newer building that isn't coming down.

[Blue Horseshoe]

Exactly the reason I was thinking that Morton must own some more land in the area.

Or that they don't own any additional land and this is more entertaining to speculate than reality is to grasp.

[Avenue Commons]

Exactly the reason I was thinking that Morton must own some more land in the area.  The only "dome" I see is the salt barn which isn't exactly riverfront and a building on Goose Island, which is a newer building that isn't coming down.

Just to the south are acres and acres of empty riverfront lots currently a graveyard for cabs.

[The Equalizer]

The Loyola stuff makes for fun give and take on this board, but Loyola will never, ever be joining the Big East.

No, probably not. 

But if metro NYC can support 3 league teams, Chicago could easily support two.

[Benny B]

Just to the south are acres and acres of empty riverfront lots currently a graveyard for cabs.

Is that the site?  I thought you said that wasn't the site.

[MUFC9295]

Just to the south are acres and acres of empty riverfront lots currently a graveyard for cabs.

From all Avenue Commons has provided, its where Ogden runs into the river just north of Chicago Ave.   Much further from DePaul than I thought.

[JWags85]

The main issue with that spot is public transportation.  While it would be really nice to have it walkable for Depaul students, hanging out with enough since I moved to Chicago 4 years ago, I realized they are alot less central to campus than one would think.  I knew just as many Depaul students that lived in the South Loop and Wrigleyville as those that lived closer in LP.  Its all relative.

The difference is that the red line easily accessed all 3 of those areas.  You would have alot more cabs dropping people off as opposed to people walking I would think.

Then again, its no less accessible than the United Center.

[Avenue Commons]

Is that the site?  I thought you said that wasn't the site.

Again, it was described to me as the "dome shaped" building.

I was referencing the cab graveyard as where an obvious place for parking would be.

[Hilltop]

As a Loyola grad, who grew up in Milwaukee, the idea of the Ramblers playing in the Big East made me laugh.  They need to get out of the Horizon League cellar before they can even dream of being invited to the A-10.  We are all forgetting one thing though, if Marquette was not in the Big East today, they would have no chance of being invited to the Big East either because its all about Football.  So unless Loyola finds that donor to build that football stadium floating out on Lake Michigan, Loyola has no chance at the BEast even if they experience a miraculous turnaround and are in the NCAA tournament every year.  Heck they could go to 2 straight finals and still be in the Horizon League, aka Butler.

Regarding DePaul, if any new arena is not on campus or a least by the bars and public transit, I say don't bother.

[PleaseLetThisRumourBeTrue]

Man, this would be epic for us.  I hope this guy's source is accurate.

I have to say, with the exception of the guy going on about Loyola, you are nice people. You're surprisingly supportive and respectful of DePaul.  Plus your traveling fans and alumni behave well at All State when it becomes Bradley South once or twice a year. Hate to say it, but DePaul is MU's younger sibling right now, not a rival. Just remember, there but for the grace of god go I. Anyway, being a DePaul fan is miserable right now and your sympathy is appreciated, by me at least.

That being said, I hope this isn't some sick joke to get DePaul fans' hopes up and then say April Fools.

[rugbydrummer]

That would still be a long commute from campus, and you'd lose the northwest suburb crowd if there is any.

AKA Rockford?   yeah I don't know if the Lake Zurichian contingent would venture to the UC for a weekday MU-DPU game either (you KNOW we would never grab a coveted weekend slot).

[GGGG]

Let's just say there's a 90% chance of this happening.

BTW, someone on the DePaul Scout board quoted this, teal and all, and got all excited about the possibility.

It made me laugh.

[MUFC9295]

Man, this would be epic for us.  I hope this guy's source is accurate.

I have to say, with the exception of the guy going on about Loyola, you are nice people. You're surprisingly supportive and respectful of DePaul.  Plus your traveling fans and alumni behave well at All State when it becomes Bradley South once or twice a year. Hate to say it, but DePaul is MU's younger sibling right now, not a rival. Just remember, there but for the grace of god go I. Anyway, being a DePaul fan is miserable right now and your sympathy is appreciated, by me at least.

That being said, I hope this isn't some sick joke to get DePaul fans' hopes up and then say April Fools.

I'm guessing you are not Chet Coppock.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

All I can say is that you quite obviously weren't following DePaul in the early 2000's if you think they were dedidcated to building their program in advance of joining the Big East.

Go back and read the Chicago Tribune at the time of the hiring of Dave Leitao, a couple years prior to the BE invitation:
http://bit.ly/w8E7BV
"It is apparent that DePaul has made the decision to operate its basketball program on a smaller, more midsized level."

Doesn't sound like the words used to describe a program dedicated to improving itself, does it?

In 1999, MU just fired Deane, still practiced in the old gym, had lowest attendance in a while, and the students didn't even go to games. I know. I was a student and we would walk in 10 minutes late to watch South Florida thrash us. This of course was after Deane already used 3 timeouts.

I wouldn't say MU was exactly "prepping" for the Big East. MU got a good head coach, a once in a generation player, and the administration capitalized quickly.

This might happen at DePaul as there is some infrastructure and tradition. It won't happen at Loyola.

[TedBaxter]

I did a quick measurement on Google maps of the Bradley Center and tried to put it on the Morton Salt site and the one way I see this as being feasible is having the court run north and south and the court being parallel with Elston.  This would also require the arena to be built in the truck parking lot north of the Morton Salt building itself and maybe raising the Morton Salt building and putting in a large parking ramp plus surface parking in the place of the Morton Salt building itself.  Parking revenue during the weekday?

Main entrances could be on the north and south ends reducing the east-west width between Elston and the river and the building could basically run parallel to the Kennedy allowing some good advertisement revenue along the freeway for the school or game advertisers.

[Coleman]

Parking revenue during the weekday?

Main entrances could be on the north and south ends reducing the east-west width between Elston and the river and the building could basically run parallel to the Kennedy allowing some good advertisement revenue along the freeway for the school or game advertisers.

If its close enough to the Metra, perhaps parking revenue...otherwise who would park there?

[Coleman]

BTW, someone on the DePaul Scout board quoted this, teal and all, and got all excited about the possibility.

It made me laugh.

I apologize to any DePaul fans who may have gotten their hopes up from my 90% prediction. Please read threads by Big Daddy for context.

[LauxForThree]

DePaul fan here, new to this site... just wanted to say this thread has stirred a bit of discussion.  Some of have shot it down (via the scout site), others have noted that a deal for a stadium location may be in the works (bluedemonsnation.com - the counter culture fan site - where one doesn't have to pay for information).

Since this is my first trip into the unholy land of MuScoop, go easy on me.  

Anyways since, I don't know the history of Mr. Ave Commons... I'd like to thank him for at least kicking this topic back into discussion on our side of the border and adding a ray of hope to our otherwise gloomy season.  Hopefully his info has some type of merit and DePaul can start building some excitement (as well as just start building).

As for the Morton property discussed, while it doesn't have the nec. acreage for a stadium the likes of the Horizon or Bradley center, it is bigger than the lot size that our old Alumni Hall took up, and I could envision a building like Cameron or Welsh-Ryan on that site, with an associated parking deck.

Oh, and btw, the Loyola discussion was absolutely hilarious.  It would be as if the Big East wanted to consider UW-Green Bay for membership.

[Dawson Rental]

No, probably not. 

But if metro NYC can support 3 league teams, Chicago could easily support two.

Let's go Chicago State.  Could we get them as a mirror opponent every year?