The Future Of The Mean Green Athletic Village, Notes

[MeanGreen61]

The future of the Mean Green Athletic Village, notes

The UNT Board of Regents will consider a proposal in closed session on Thursday that appears as if it could have an indirect impact the future of the Mean Green Athletic Village.

UNT's regents are set to look at the lease of the Radison Hotel that sits just a few yards away from the Mean Green Athletic Center and not too far from where the school hopes to build a football stadium in the near future. The agenda item indicates that the board could take action. I couldn't get a hold of the contract, but the hotel leases the property from UNT. The lease extends for several more years, but there is a chance that either side could opt out, giving the property back to the university. I asked UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal if the future of the hotel was in any way connected to the school's plans to build a football stadium. He said it wasn't, but it would be interesting to see what the university would do with the land, especially if the school does build a football stadium. It would be a prime area to add to UNT's athletic facilities in the future.

On the hoops front, a blog reader asked about Lewisville point guard William Weathers and if UNT was actively recruiting him. I asked the coaches over at Lewisville and they said UNT had looked at Weathers, but Wichita State and Tulane were the teams that were actively pursuing him.

Post your thoughts on the blog. What would you like to see the university do with the land if the Radison leaves the building?

[UNTflyer]

I don't see how RV can say with a straight face that the possible lease termination has nothing to do with the stadium.

It's a revenue generating agreement for the university. The only reason they would consider terminating the lease is because there is a plan for it.

Like parking for the stadium, which will be needed until Fouts is imploded.

[NT03]

On the hoops front, a blog reader asked about Lewisville point guard William Weathers and if UNT was actively recruiting him. I asked the coaches over at Lewisville and they said UNT had looked at Weathers, but Wichita State and Tulane were the teams that were actively pursuing him

I know this is basketball related , but WICHITA STATE is on every single recruit we've been after for the past few years

I can only hope if UNT does acquire the Raddison land that another entrance would be added off the frontage road , that place is brutal with traffic

[NT80]

It may be just that the Radison wants out of the lease. They gave up the golf course lease a few years back. I have never seen that hotel parking lot even half full so I don't know how they can be making money there.

It would make a nice university-run hotel like many schools have. I doubt any athletic facility would be put up on that high hill, plus the cost to tear down that building would be a lot and it doesn't seem like an outdated building.

Or.....

Maybe Radison wants to expand their naming in that area......Radison Stadium?

[MeanGreenBuzz]

What they should do is either renovate it and make it a top quality hotel or tear it down all together and build a much better one near by. With as many business people that come to Denton for Denton not to have a hotel that caters to them is absurd. I know a lot of them stay in Lewisville and drive to Denton for their meetings. Having a university run 3 or 4 star hotel with all of the restaurants/catering run by our restaurant management program would be a huge step for that program.

[DeepGreen]

Maybe the University will take over the facility, renovate it, and make it into a dorm. Sadly, it probably has nothing to do with a football stadium.

[Dub820]

I just graduated from UNT in December, but during my time there in Denton I often thought that the Radisson would make a great dorm atmosphere. Unrealistic, yes but still the idea of that place being a dorm would be very cool and add to anyone's college experience.

[SilverEagle]

I just graduated from UNT in December, but during my time there in Denton I often thought that the Radisson would make a great dorm atmosphere. Unrealistic, yes but still the idea of that place being a dorm would be very cool and add to anyone's college experience.

Does the school need another dorm at this time?

[Green Mean]

Does the school need another dorm at this time?

I dont think theres ever enough dorms....especially with a huge school like NT. Plus at NT there are never enough dorms....the more dorms then hopefully the better possibility of getting that commuter school image out of people.

[GreenBlooded1]

Another advantage to "Raddison Dorm" would be that those students would have absolutely NO excuses not to come to the stadium. Hell it is right next door to them (or will be when it is built!)

[DeepGreen]

Does the school need another dorm at this time?

Probably. UNt is the "low cost", best value, cheap college education one can attain. Surely we'll need more room.

[Green to the Bone]

I just graduated from UNT in December, but during my time there in Denton I often thought that the Radisson would make a great dorm atmosphere. Unrealistic, yes but still the idea of that place being a dorm would be very cool and add to anyone's college experience.

The only downside I can see to turning the hotel into a dorm is students running up huge minibar tabs. Those $10 beers and $15 roasted almonds add up pretty quick.

[Boomer23]

Could you even imagine move in day at the Radisson. It would be beyond a nightmare. I don't even know if there are enough elevators.

Thats really the only negative I really see. It would also make plenty of room for offices and classrooms.

[greenminer]

I think I read somewhere that the Music Practice facilities used to be dorms.

If you think the Bruce Hall rooms are small...

[SilverEagle]

The only downside I can see to turning the hotel into a dorm is students running up huge minibar tabs. Those $10 beers and $15 roasted almonds add up pretty quick.

You obviously haven't had any experience with selling things (or trying to sell things) to North Texas students.

First of all. They would expect the beer to be free (don't my student service fees cover that?).

And second of all. Even if the beer was free, many of them would bitch that it was either too cold, or not cold enough.....or not the right brand.

[Green P1]

I hope they level the thing. Maybe if there's no staff hanging around the Hotel there won't be anyone around to tell me that as a student I'm not allowed to hit balls on the pathetic remains of what was once a pretty decent golf course. Recently they've put some work into getting like 4 of the greens over there in respectable shape, but they only allow like 40 people to be on them, 40 being roughly the # of students taking golf as a course. The freaking golf team avoids that place like the plague. I took the same advanced golf class every semester my first 3 years of school just for the fun of it, but at the time the course had been ignored for about 6 years. Now that a couple holes are playable, I'm no longer allowed to step foot on it......

There's my Radisson Golf Course rant for the month, although with all this new information coming forward on the subject I may have another....

[DeepGreen]

I think I read somewhere that the Music Practice facilities used to be dorms.

If you think the Bruce Hall rooms are small...

Those were once pathetic dorms called the Quadrangles.

[UNTLifer]

what was once a pretty decent golf course.

Uh, no, that was never even close to being a "pretty decent golf course." I grew up playing on that glorified goat ranch.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I hope they level the thing.

Doubtful they would level it when they need at the very least dorm space.

[Eagle1855]

Doubtful they would level it when they need at the very least dorm space.

Who knows, depending on the condition of the place, it might be more cost-effective to level it and build a new multi-use building. Just depends on how much work it would require to get it into proper shape. All of which assumes that is why they pulled the lease. Lots of speculation that Im sure will be answered soon enough.

[Green P1]

Uh, no, that was never even close to being a "pretty decent golf course." I grew up playing on that glorified goat ranch.

Well la de da.... Try growing up playing on the public courses of Wise County. Maybe you just never appreciated it for what it was. At least that coarse had elevation changes, and you could tell at least some thought was put into hole layout.

[UNTLifer]

Well la de da.... Try growing up playing on the public courses of Wise County. Maybe you just never appreciated it for what it was. At least that coarse had elevation changes, and you could tell at least some thought was put into hole layout.

I never said it wasn't fun, I just wouldn't call it decent. Losing you golf balls to prairie dogs or cracks in the ground from the lack of water does not qualify a course as decent. I know a crappy course when I see one due to growing up playing NT's and TWU's. BTW, when I was a kid, I could buy a monthly pass to the NT golf course for $15.00.

[Guest 97and03]

Probably. UNt is the "low cost", best value, cheap college education one can attain. Surely we'll need more room.

You should look up the definition of the word value. Maybe do some research on these "Best Value" lists.

[Green P1]

I never said it wasn't fun, I just wouldn't call it decent. Losing you golf balls to prairie dogs or cracks in the ground from the lack of water does not qualify a course as decent. I know a crappy course when I see one due to growing up playing NT's and TWU's. BTW, when I was a kid, I could buy a monthly pass to the NT golf course for $15.00.

Well now they won't even let you swing a club on it unless you're attending a session of golf class or a member of either of the teams... thats my gripe. We come from different situations. I guess it says something about my home course, when I was just excited about an eighteen hole format! As bad as you say that course was, it was a treat for me whenever I got to play there as a kid. If you really thought it was that terrible, I'd suggest you take a 30min drive to either the Bridgeport or Decatur Municipal Golf Courses. I think you'd get a real kick out of playing either of those two, especially Decatur.

[Peacock]

Probably. UNt is the "low cost", best value, cheap college education one can attain. Surely we'll need more room.

Words are important. It is imperative to remember that when you refer to UNT as "cheap" there are many other connotations that are shared...

Bargain Basement

Cut-Rate

Depreciated

Additionally, cheap also means inferior. These terms when used as adjectives for UNT devalues the worth of UNT. Any alum should be admonished if they refer to UNT as cheap, and if you have seen anticipated tuition costs for the 2008-2009 school year, cheap is not a word that I would use to describe it.

Branding UNT has an impact on those that are not familiar with the university. Everytime a prospective student or athlete hears UNT referred to as cheap or low-cost, it hurts the reputation of our University. We are just now reinventing UNT as a premier public educational institution. Our 2007-08 Freshman had an SAT avg. higher that Texas Tech, we are groing by leaps and bounds in facilities and enrollment.

Now I am not surprised when I hear UT & A$M alums denegrate UNT, but dadgummit if I will let a UNT alums do it anymore!

Edited March 28, 2008 by Peacock