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RXBruin
Joined: 1/20/17 Posts: 388
Jackie Robinson Stadium to be shut down today!
Posted Thu, Sep 26 8:43 am
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/uclas-jackie-robinson-stadium-to-close-thursday-in-wake-of-judges-v-a-ruling/

Obviously this raises A LOT of questions!
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
VA dragged their feet on building housing
Posted Thu, Sep 26 9:26 am (Edited Thu, Sep 26 9:27 am)
In response to Jackie Robinson Stadium to be shut down today! (RXBruin)
The settlement from 2017 (?) mandated new housing facilities and other programs for homeless veterans. My understanding is that little if any of the housing has been built, so that sent this matter back to the courts. My understanding is that the land surrounding Jackie Robinson Stadium is one of the potential housing sites. Building housing doesn't necessarily require demolition of the stadium itself, but it could radically change the land areas that surround the stadium and even cut into the stadium footprint itself.

The timeline that the judge spelled out will be almost impossible to meet under current conditions, so it will need to be some form of negotiated settlement with more realistic timelines and more forceful commitments than the earlier settlement.

During those previous settlement negotiations, UCLA was putting together contingency plans in case the Jackie Robinson Stadium lease was terminated. Time to dust those plans off! I recall that the earlier contingencies included scheduling games at LMU and/or at public parks.
monkeyboy86
Joined: 3/15/06 Posts: 359
i think the judge wants to see a realistic timeline..
Posted Thu, Sep 26 12:58 pm (Edited Thu, Sep 26 1:05 pm)
In response to VA dragged their feet on building housing (Woochifer)
or some type of real action from UCLA, Brentwood academy and that oil drilling company.

The judge's actions was definetly to show that he's serious, and not to treat his ruling as a "we'll eventually work something down the road" type of reaction.

..and calling out the (interim) chancellor to show up by end of the day was kind of funny, in an odd sort of way.
UCLA888
Joined: 10/29/22 Posts: 408
UCLA offers $600K/year and will cede additional acres...
Posted Tue, Oct 08 9:10 am (Edited Tue, Oct 08 9:22 am)
In response to i think the judge wants to see a realistic timeline.. (monkeyboy86)
but this issue will continue even if temporarily resolved PLUS baseball deserves a better place to play ball when all the other teams around the country are upgrading or play on campus. Even Rutgers is moving to a new 6,500 seat $70 Million stadium about 10 minutes from campus in 2026.

https://x.com/ABC7/status/1843382455522521161

https://x.com/ColiseumGSVA/status/1842144702465782139
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
That's a multi-tenant facility
Posted Wed, Oct 09 2:21 pm
In response to UCLA offers $600K/year and will cede additional acres... (UCLA888)
Rutgers is the first tenant, they don't own it and didn't develop it. It's on a community college campus. It looks like the stadium authority that built that stadium is fielding RFPs for additional tenants, which I would guess could also include minor league or semipro teams.

UCLA has already made several investments in Jackie Robinson Stadium. It's in their best interests to explore all options to stay at JRS. UCLA's proposal states that they've exceeded the in-kind service obligations that helped resolve the previous lease dispute. The main issue here is that the VA failed to meet the agreed-upon timetable for building homeless veteran housing. UCLA's caught in the middle because they've been paying a market rate lease in addition to offering medical, dental, and legal services to veterans, only to have their lease agreement invalidated by the judge.

If UCLA indeed can no longer use JRS, the short term options would be the same as the last time the Bruin baseball team faced eviction -- playing at LMU and/or public parks on the westside. A long-term solution could be similar to what Rutgers has done -- a multi-tenant facility that would be shared between schools and offered up for lease to semipro or minor league teams. Problem is that other than LMU, are there any other potential tenants on the westside that would be willing to help develop a new baseball stadium?

UCLA's not in a college town and the campus is landlocked. Land costs on the westside are exorbitant, and outside of a donation of land, any long-term options outside of the VA property will be very pricey.
DrKahanamoku
Joined: 11/08/09 Posts: 1,813
In the last couple of years, I believe, UCLA acquired
Posted Wed, Oct 09 10:56 am
In response to Jackie Robinson Stadium to be shut down today! (RXBruin)
land of a university near Palos Verde? Is that right? If so can a baseball field be put out there?

Duke
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
Long commute on the 405
Posted Wed, Oct 09 3:16 pm
In response to In the last couple of years, I believe, UCLA acquired (DrKahanamoku)
The land that UCLA acquired is the former Marymount California University campus. UCLA plans to use it as a center for marine biology and life sciences. The MCU campus is only 24 acres, and the site is already built out with some very hilly terrain. The only athletic facilities from what I could see in the aerial photos are tennis courts, a pool, and what looks like a small gym. A baseball field alone would take up nearly 5 acres.

And if UCLA decided to use the MCU campus for baseball, fans and students would face a rather long commute on the 405 AND a long time on the side streets to get into Palos Verdes (the freeways are a long way out from the MCU site).
8years
Joined: 7/10/12 Posts: 1,682
Would it work to co-develop a baseball/softball
Posted Thu, Oct 10 3:06 pm
In response to Long commute on the 405 (Woochifer)
facility in conjunction with one of the “local” community colleges? Say Santa Monica or West Los Angeles? Would the City cooperate in developing a facility at Cheviot Hills Park? Balboa Park? Just throwing spit balls out there! Hahaha!
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
Might come down to that if the VA doesn't work out
Posted Thu, Oct 10 3:57 pm
In response to Would it work to co-develop a baseball/softball (8years)
I think UCLA is going to work with the VA to the extent possible. The revised offer includes ceding 2 acres back to the VA for housing (UCLA currently leases 10 acres). Between the market rate ground lease and all of the free legal, medical, and dental services that UCLA is providing to veterans, it's a big cost that the university incurs. UCLA is claiming that the in-lieu value of the services they offer to veterans is equivalent to $2.6M.

If UCLA is indeed evicted, LMU would probably be the best temporary solution. It's ready to play with D-1 facilities suitable for hosting NCAA tournament games. Long-term, yes, UCLA could look into community college locations and invest in an upgraded facility. Or they could look into investing in a city park. I recall that they already had a site in mind the last time this issue with homeless veteran housing came up. It was a nice site, but would need investment in more permanent facility upgrades, especially if UCLA wants to host postseason games.

The Bruin softball team won't relocate from Easton Stadium anytime soon. It's a small facility and could use some renovation, but is on campus.
UCLA888
Joined: 10/29/22 Posts: 408
Temporarily back to JRS until July, 2025
Posted Tue, Oct 29 12:26 pm
In response to Jackie Robinson Stadium to be shut down today! (RXBruin)
Still need a better solution ultimately. Best starting pitcher in the MLB, most likely the WS winning manager from the program and getting boatload of PR now but has no control over its stadium while other programs have modern and top class facilities? Time to use some of the B1G money next year to find a permanent solution IMO.

Baseball might be the one major sport where NIL$ doesn't matter as much because if you deserve to get paid, you probably sign a contract out of HS so academics, weather, coaching and facilities have more weight for recruits.

https://x.com/KendallRogers/status/1851331815572980073

https://x.com/lbc_chronicles/status/1851355034572755448
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,123
The NIL money is influencing baseball
Posted Tue, Oct 29 9:23 pm (Edited Tue, Oct 29 9:31 pm)
In response to Temporarily back to JRS until July, 2025 (UCLA888)
It's one reason why top pitchers Gage Jump and Thatcher Hurd transferred after getting injured a couple of years ago. The incentive for college baseball has always been that a player can improve their draft stock even if they were already a low 1st rounder coming out of high school.

That's how UCLA ended up with Gerrit Cole. The Yankees drafted him 28th overall and were reportedly looking to offer him a $4M signing bonus. He played at UCLA and moved up to the #1 overall draft pick. Signing bonus was $8M. Time well spent.

But, with NIL, it's now a different equation because prospects can now command a NIL payment that's in line with what they'd be getting with a MLB signing bonus. Not necessarily what the top draft picks earn, but definitely competitive with what some of the middle round signing bonuses offer.

Add to that, housing stipends, meals, nutritional consultants, strength and conditioning coaches, and better facilities than what many minor league teams offer. And at a place like UCLA, which has a proven track record of sending players to the majors, better coaching than what many minor league teams offer up.

UCLA has already invested millions into the facilities at JRS, and the previous legal settlement had put a lot of this to bed. But, the VA dragged its feet on building housing for homeless veterans and a new lawsuit was filed.

UCLA already had contingency plans the last time around, and I don't doubt that they still have something in place in case a long-term lease can't be worked out. I doubt that JRS will be demolished, but a portion of the site will likely get carved out, depending on the . UCLA has a lease for 10 acres. Not a huge site, but JRS can still function fine with a reduced parcel, if necessary. Consider that the A's Las Vegas site at the Tropicana is less than 9 acres.