Father Shanley Re SJU Facilities Need

paultzman

paultzman

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I recently saw a comment from Tim Welsh, former PC HC, re Father Shanley & SJU facilities improvement project from his Providence observations. Tim noted no matter challenge Father Shanley is the one to get this done. The November article below references a four to six month feasibility study which would imply a Spring completion.

Hopefully the strategic plan for facilities will be forthcoming soon, but defer to Jersey Shore Johnny and/or Beast on that. Fundraising for this effort will indeed be challenging and merit SJU huge community support, but Father S along with Mike Cragg seem ideal persons to lead effort to move the needle on this daunting goal.

November article
https://nypost.com/2021/11/09/st-johns-new-president-hoop-programs-need-top-facilities/
 
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Paultzman post=461232 said:
I recently saw a comment from Tim Welsh, former PC HC, re Father Shanley & SJU facilities improvement project from his Providence observations. Tim noted no matter challenge Father Shanley is the one to get this done. The November article below references a four to six month feasibility study which would imply a Spring completion.

Hopefully the strategic plan for facilities will be forthcoming soon, but defer to Jersey Shore Johnny and/or Beast on that. Fundraising for this effort will indeed be challenging and merit SJU huge community support, but Father S along with Mike Cragg seem ideal persons to lead effort to move the needle on this daunting goal.

November article
https://nypost.com/2021/11/09/st-johns-new-president-hoop-programs-need-top-facilities/
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 "I hope down the road we’re able to get the facilities to where they need to be, because they are not there yet."

Doesn't exactly instill confidence in me. How about "One of my first orders of business is to address our outdated facilities...."?. In any event, after over 2 decades of this crap, I'm all about "show me, don't tell me". I'll believe it when I see it, and not because some supposed  "feasibility study" is happening. But that's just me, obviously everyone is free to believe what they want. 
 
The best time to capitalize on a facilities upgrade/donation push is during the season when interest in the program is there not in the off season.

What is the plan ?
What are the specifics ? 
Taffner upgrades ?
Alumni Hall upgrades ?
Moving more games to UBS?
What big donors are lined up ?
How much money is needed to facilitate the plan ?
 Was an architect hired to draw up the plans?
MSG what is our status with them going forward?

Too many questions not enough specifics , meanwhile my 62 year old friend has a chiropractic appointment after sitting in bleacher seats all season at Alumni Hall.

Monte keep up the great posts.
 
Actually, I don't mind anyone who says I'll believe it when I see it.   After all, we can thank  Thomas the Apostle for that sentiment after meeting the resurrected Christ, who asked the question any of us would have thought, namely, "Why should I believe this?"

Anyone who really wants this done, should contact the Athletic department, and simply say, "How can I help?"  It doesn't have to be with money, and if it is, the amount can be anything.   I think if Father Shanley is going to dig into the endowment to make up a shortfall in funds raised, the more people total who make donations, any donation, will encourage him to make the investment. Again, the how can I help can be more than just a donation.

Lots of things are in the works to improve the fan experience as well, although not Paultzman's well written topic.   Literally we could have double the staff for all the things that need to be done.

 
 
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19854ever post=461239 said:
The best time to capitalize on a facilities upgrade/donation push is during the season when interest in the program is there not in the off season.

What is the plan ?
What are the specifics ? 
Taffner upgrades ?
Alumni Hall upgrades ?
Moving more games to UBS?
What big donors are lined up ?
How much money is needed to facilitate the plan ?
 Was an architect hired to draw up the plans?
MSG what is our status with them going forward?

Too many questions not enough specifics , meanwhile my 62 year old friend has a chiropractic appointment after sitting in bleacher seats all season at Alumni Hall.

Monte keep up the great posts.
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When you have a major capital project at a university, you just cannot open a checkbook and start a project.   There is a correct way to do things.   Since arriving here, Mike C. has called in a bunch of consultants to advise on any number of subjects, from possible expansion of the arena, to facilities, to marketing, to NIL, etc.  Many resulted in forging contractual arrangements, such as NIL.  

Nothing, and I mean nothing in terms of capital investments for improvements was going to be done under Dr. Gempeshaw's tenure, and certainly not as he approached retirement.    That has not stopped Mike C. from doing all the planning for the formative pieces, prior to the arrival of Father Shanley.

Father Shanley for his part, engaged the Athletic Department way before his official start date of last February and before his official installation as university president last fall.   Immediately, Father Shanley took one tour of facilities and agreed that this must be a priority.  

From there there have been consultants brought in to come up with alternate plans for improvements and/or expansion of facilities, in order to include facilities with estimated costs in the athletic department's strategic plan.    To my knowledge, that plan is complete or near completion.   Father Shanley was tasked with creating a strategic plan for all areas of the university, which again is at or near completion..   The athletic department plan would become part of the university plan.    

Then, the university plan must be reviewed and approved by the board of trustees.   As mentioned, it appears that is sheculed to happen this spring.

This hasn't stopped Chris Vaupel and Father Shanley from major a major southeast swing visiting trustees and major donors through an exhausting Southeast tour just a few weeks ago.    Florida alums are aware of the full schedule of events that the university plans each year to gather with and alums and to raise funds.

So, this was a detailed answer to your question.   It is all happening, and while not a given, all the antecedent events leading up to this effort have occurred on or ahead of schedule.   

Again, a call or email asking how you can be of help to this project would be warmly received I trust.  
 
Beast,

thanks for the answer , but you are only source regarding this whatsoever. Who is Chris Vaupel and what is he famous for ? Is Billy Schaefer/Mel Davis around anymore doing fundraising? I have not heard from them in a while. I know Dom Scianna is gone. Also why did Gempesaw not want to raise money for capital projects ?

Once again I will go back to the mismanagement of Joe Olivia and his alienating or perceived alienating of perhaps one of our most financially successful alums In the history of SJU Mike Repole. 
I think many of us on here are chomping at the bit, to find out what is the plan ? Or even if a plan exists, and many of us were not and still are not happy with the half ass 2008 upgrade.
 
 
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19854ever post=461244 said:
Beast,

thanks for the answer , but you are only source regarding this whatsoever. Who is Chris Vaupel and what is he famous for ? Is Billy Schaefer/Mel Davis around anymore doing fundraising? I have not heard from them in a while. I know Dom Scianna is gone. Also why did Gempesaw not want to raise money for capital projects ?

Once again I will go back to the mismanagement of Joe Olivia and his alienating or perceived alienating of perhaps one of our most financially successful alums In the history of SJU Mike Repole. 
I think many of us on here are chomping at the bit, to find out what is the plan ? 


 
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Chris is Vice President for University Advancement, and is responsible for raising funds.   Also is a huge Johnnie's fan, attends all games, and is a great guy.  

Billy Schaeffer still works for the University.   In terms of Athletic fundraising Nick V. and Paul S. are focused on athletic fund raising as part of their jobs. 

Gempeshaw had his role, which he filled well.   He didn't possess all the talents you'd want in an ideal university president, but he did get SJU through an extremely rough financial crisis which included the end of federally subsidized student loans and a subsequent shortfall of 500 in the following freshman class because of that.   He froze all but essential hires and froze wages, and rebuilt our endowment through tight fiscal management.    With either weaker leadership in the athletic department or his reluctance to spend major amounts of money, things didn't happen.

I would rather focus on positives than continually rehashing what hasn't been done or been done over 30 years.  Naming names just falls into the old traps that eventually will go back to Joe Lapchick's time.  We have the right leadership in place now, and things are happening.   How much gets done in the athletic will depend largely on how rank and file fans of the program respond. 
 
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So when can we expect to see a tangible project?
 
Knight post=461249 said:
So when can we expect to see a tangible project?
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Knight, I would imagine, once reviewed and approved, that there will be a formal fundraising effort that will be rolled out in short order.  I did speak with Father Shanley a few weeks ago, and while expressing the importance of the project, also added that it would take significant philanthropy to fund it.    

My guess is by early summer all that will be made public will be available, but that is just my guess.  

I believe two things will occur:

1. Tasks will be done on a priority and cost basis.   
2. There may be parts that are scaled back or not done based on success of a capital campaign..

Once approved, it's all in our hands as to what gets done.
 
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I posted this somewhere before but felt it was worth reposting on this thread. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know squat about fundraising for something like this, but what the other SJU is doing certainly seems like the right way to go about it;

https://atlantic10.com/news/2021/6/...ign-for-reimagined-sju-athletics-complex.aspx

While every penny counts, we are not going to nickel and dime our way to new facilities. It's on the school to find some big donors, it's on us to contribute once a plan is in place and those donors are found. Not the other way around. Anyhow for anyone who wants to contribute based on small talk, knock yourself out. I prefer to donate my hard earned money to where I actually see something going on. And I do, to a litany of Catholic and non-Catholic charities. To each his own. 
 
Monte post=461251 said:
I posted this somewhere before but felt it was worth reposting on this thread. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know squat about fundraising for something like this, but what the other SJU is doing certainly seems like the right way to go about it;

https://atlantic10.com/news/2021/6/...ign-for-reimagined-sju-athletics-complex.aspx

While every penny counts, we are not going to nickel and dime our way to new facilities. It's on the school to find some big donors, it's on us to contribute once a plan is in place and those donors are found. Not the other way around. Anyhow for anyone who wants to contribute based on small talk, knock yourself out. I prefer to donate my hard earned money to where I actually see something going on. And I do, to a litany of Catholic and non-Catholic charities. To each his own. 
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Although I have abided to your request not to comment on each other's posts, nice post.  Nothing wrong with it al all.
 
I am watching the CREIGHTON game and admiring their facility! It reminds me so much of our sh— hole!
It is embarrassing!!
 
I agree.     I’ve started taking my daughter looking at colleges and seeing some of there on campus arenas.  Unbelievable!    
 
Since 1999 Sju has built dorms, Taffner, the building where the football stands used to be a new church, new soccer field and a new baseball field. And all alumni hall got was a 1/2 ass upgrade in 2008. 


I’ll ask my friend how his chiropractic appointment was.
  
   
 
I will be honest with you I am so done with this program! Between lousy facilities, lousy coaches, lousy performance for the last 22 years I find that I am better off not watching them any longer! I find that following SJU basketball puts me in a foul mood. The good news is that I just was informed that my granddaughter was just accepted to Kentucky!  Thank heavens!
 
Based on these two paragraphs, I guess Shanley is disappointed?

“There is significant hype for this season, hope that the Johnnies can win an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 2000. But Shanley is looking beyond just one breakthrough season.“I hope we win a national championship while I’m here and I mean that,” he said. “I think that has to be the only goal for St. John’s: To compete for a national championship.”Maybe Shanley and others should stick to more realistic goals like finishing in the top half of the league? 
 
19854ever post=461354 said:
Since 1999 Sju has built dorms, Taffner, the building where the football stands used to be a new church, new soccer field and a new baseball field. And all alumni hall got was a 1/2 ass upgrade in 2008. 


I’ll ask my friend how his chiropractic appointment was.
  
   
Click to expand...

Soccer Field built by major donation earmarked for such.

Taffner the same as above.

Baseball Stadium built by the City of New York so the Brooklyn Cyclones had a place to play until their stadium in Brooklyn was completed (other upgrades by donations).
 
The deciding factor for me will be if they do another band aid approach to Ca they will never see another dime from me! 
  And as much as I admire Mike CRAGG if they decide to go on the cheap again I would start looking for other opportunities! 

 
 
When we are talking facilities upgrade, we are not talking arena.  I'm not suggesting that the arena doesn't need improvement, but that isn't what hurts us recruiting.
 
CA is approaching sixty years old and obviously doesn’t have any modern conveniences but I have attended hundreds of games there and never felt that the arena was not maintained properly. Who ever is in charge of keeping it clean has always performed their job.
 
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