I hear it often: We don't need to build a new arena, we should just remodel the Bob Devaney Center instead. The claim makes yet another appearance in today's LJS. This notion is foolish and needs to be addressed.
The Devaney Center is appropriate for only one thing at this stage in its life: hosting certain kinds of sporting events. No amount of remodeling could possibly make it a suitable host for modern concerts or other types of shows and events. Besides, University officials have said repeatedly that they have no interest in pursuing a future in event hosting. They don't want to mess with the logistics, or the scheduling, or the other headaches that would arise. Furthermore, Devaney is ultimately under the control of the University and the State. Their interests are not Lincoln's interests. Devaney is not a replacement for a good community arena.
Devaney's only role in this discussion is to provide a home for the Husker basketball teams if the Haymarket Arena doesn't get built. Nothing more.
If you think that Lincoln needs to replace Pershing Center you have two choices: support some sort of publicly-funded arena (the one we will vote on in May or some other alternative), or sit around and wait for a private company to build one. The "Plan B" of using Devaney is a complete nonstarter. Promoting it as the "obvious" alternative makes you look like a doofus precisely because the idea ignores so many fundamental realities and facts. If you are one of the Devaney promoters, please stop. (Well that, or share with us your plan to remodel Devaney and get the University on board. I'll put your odds of success as "virtually nil", but that's technically greater than zero.)
If you hear folks spouting the Devaney Plan, please educate them. They may vote yes in May, or they may vote no. But whatever their vote, I strongly prefer it be based not on ignorance, but on a good understanding of the true alternatives before us.
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Yeah, it’s really amazing when people say this kind of thing. Devaney is packed to the gills with all the different sports they have going now. Plus, no booze would be an obvious deal breaker for anyone trying to make money from a concert.
Testing if I can post a comment as a reply to another comment. I’m unable to post a comment to the original post.
This is the smartest piece about the arena I’ve seen anywhere in a while.
The biggest thing that makes me mad about the arena issue is the point of view that we should just fix the roads - as if it’s an either/or proposition. We can have nice roads, or an arena, but not both.
I’m just as frustrated about potholes, but one has nothing to do with the other, and it’s a stupid argument.
Nice straight talking post Mr. Wilson!
all great points—but the least understood by most I talk to is that the city or some other management group can’t just go into Devaney and start booking concerts. As you mentioned, it’s under control of the University and they’re not in the business of booking Josh Groban concerts for the general good of the city of Lincoln. This contention the “arenos” make just drives me nuts.
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