UCD track to close!!

Timmaay

Great article from Lindie here: http://lindienaughton.com/belfield-track-a-personal-plea/

ecoli

Good to see that it is still in the minds of some people. The "task force" set up to secure funds did exactly what it was supposed to....... Deflect negative public opinion until things died down

pconn062

Was just about to post the same link, good article from Lindie alright, sums up the average runners feelings about the whole thing.

ergo

bumping this yet again almost 2 years on

any further updates on this or on plans for new track?

I see new track didn't feature in the sports capital funding scheme announced earlier this year

RayCun

lots of building equipment on the track at the moment - but not track building equipment as far as I can see

Murph_D

Ran past on the adjacent trail recently. It looked like the track was being used as a storage area for building materials for other development on the campus. A sad sight.

Testosterscone

http://www.universityobserver.ie/news/fine-gael-councillor-submits-motion-to-prioritise-replacement-of-belfield-athletics-track/

Glad to see it hasn't gone away

Plenty ignored emails asking for updates on the "taskforce" progress over the last few years :rolleyes: The pity is that the amount of money raised by the car park could have bought for 2-3 new tracks at this point

Chivito550

What I can’t understand is that only half of it has been turned into a car park. If they are going to destroy an iconic athletics venue, then do it right, and turn the entire bloody thing into a car park, rather than letting half the track just rot away in misery.

footing

Chivito550 wrote: »

What I can’t understand is that only half of it has been turned into a car park. If they are going to destroy an iconic athletics venue, then do it right, and turn the entire bloody thing into a car park, rather than letting half the track just rot away in misery.

Am prepared to bet that UCD will argue that they need the ex-track space for a multi-storey car park or urgently needed student accommodation. AFAIK, there are plans to build such accommodation on the gorgeous GAA pitch at the Roebuck side of the campus.

Testosterscone

footing wrote: »

Am prepared to bet that UCD will argue that they need the ex-track space for a multi-storey car park or urgently needed student accommodation. AFAIK, there are plans to build such accommodation on the gorgeous GAA pitch at the Roebuck side of the campus.

Dunno how they can claim that 6 years on, half the track is a car park, the other half is storage area for building materials. In that time there has been a new apartment block built with another to come in both Roebuck and there Smurfitt Campus as far as I am aware, all the while the proposed new site of a track is still a temporary carpark (around 15 years after the first announcement of the plans to move as far as I am aware)

footing

Testosterscone wrote: »

Dunno how they can claim that 6 years on, half the track is a car park, the other half is storage area for building materials. In that time there has been a new apartment block built with another to come in both Roebuck and there Smurfitt Campus as far as I am aware, all the while the proposed new site of a track is still a temporary carpark (around 15 years after the first announcement of the plans to move as far as I am aware)

If you can figure out how UCD "thinks" (not sure that's the right word; see no great evidence of "thought" in anything they do), you're a better man than I am gunga din -:)

Testosterscone

footing wrote: »

If you can figure out how UCD "thinks" (not sure that's the right word; see no great evidence of "thought" in anything they do), you're a better man than I am gunga din -:)

Plenty of thought - $$$$$$$$$$

Rent prices are going up and up so they are following the money (always have to be fair)

Glencarraig

The remaining bit of the track is gone and is now a complete carpark.

Murph_D

The trend on most campuses is to build over sports facilities and relocate pitches etc elsewhere. DCU relocated all pitches to far side of Ballymun Road. Trinity have facilities in Santry. What about UCD - anything similar, and would it have track potential? Tradition and history rarely counts for much when it comes to developers and carparks, unfortunately.

Testosterscone

Murph_D wrote: »

The trend on most campuses is to build over sports facilities and relocate pitches etc elsewhere. DCU relocated all pitches to far side of Ballymun Road. Trinity have facilities in Santry. What about UCD - anything similar, and would it have track potential? Tradition and history rarely counts for much when it comes to developers and carparks, unfortunately.

Land was designated for the track almost 15 years ago.

Here is the current layout of sports grounds on the campus.

Edit: ommitted the Tennis Courts and Swimming pool located either side of the Sports Centre

donaghs

Murph_D wrote: »

The trend on most campuses is to build over sports facilities and relocate pitches etc elsewhere. DCU relocated all pitches to far side of Ballymun Road. Trinity have facilities in Santry. What about UCD - anything similar, and would it have track potential? Tradition and history rarely counts for much when it comes to developers and carparks, unfortunately.

UCD relocated from town to a greenfield site, Belfield. The point of which was to have space for all the facilities?

There's still plenty of space for a running track. As mentioned above, land was designated for it. I guess its just not a priority for the college. Which is sad considering everything else they spend money on.

Murph_D

donaghs wrote: »

UCD relocated from town to a greenfield site, Belfield. The point of which was to have space for all the facilities?

There's still plenty of space for a running track. As mentioned above, land was designated for it. I guess its just not a priority for the college. Which is sad considering everything else they spend money on.

Relocated in the early 1960s - more than 50 years ago!

Macy0161

donaghs wrote: »

As mentioned above, land was designated for it. I guess its just not a priority for the college. Which is sad considering everything else they spend money on.

It's a packed car park any time during term. I suppose the running track have a well bedded in base if or when it ever happens....

RayCun

Anonymous donor to fund new running track in UCD

It won’t be on the original site at the Belfield end of the campus, but situated in what in recent years has been designated the Sports and Recreation Character Area of the 158-hectare campus, close to the Clonskeagh entrance, alongside the existing sports centre, Olympic size swimming pool, the national hockey stadium and the UCD Bowl.

It will also be an eight-lane, tartan surface, IAAF-approved track, which like the originally facility itself, will act for training and competition purposes, for both track and field events. Work on the new track is due to get underway as soon as possible, and while it may not be entirely complete for next year, will be ready for 2020 at the latest.

Testosterscone

RayCun wrote: »

Anonymous donor to fund new running track in UCD

Haha was just searching for this thread to pop it back up.

Made my day to see this finally being restored and enough funds to keep it maintained

Kissy Lips

Testosterscone wrote: »

Haha was just searching for this thread to pop it back up.

Made my day to see this finally being restored and enough funds to keep it maintained

Will the average Joe Punter be allowed to use it or will it be gated and for UCD and select running clubs only?

Testosterscone

Kissy Lips wrote: »

Will the average Joe Punter be allowed to use it or will it be gated and for UCD and select running clubs only?

No details have been revealed yet. If is clubs could be an incentive that join.

My office is overlooking the proposed new site, could save me my normal 10k warm up haha

Krusty_Clown

It's a super results and we shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but sends completely the wrong message to the likes of the UCD administration, as it entirely absolves them of any guilt or responsibility for the original decision. The generous donor should add a proviso that the track will be funded on the condition that those who ripped up the original track will never be allowed to set foot on it.

Testosterscone

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

The generous donor should add a proviso that the track will be funded on the condition that those who ripped up the original track will never be allowed to set foot on it.

Reckon your safe enough there. Pretty sure Mullins and Brady had never been near the old track either.

Do agree though sure the money made from 4 years of pay and display on old track would have gone a long way towards that original quote for new track

sideswipe

Good to see a new track being build whatever the circumstances. An estimated cost of 3 million for a track is pretty shocking, are they really that expensive to construct or is that figure to cover other infrastructural elements of the build I wonder.

robinph

sideswipe wrote: »

Good to see a new track being build whatever the circumstances. An estimated cost of 3 million for a track is pretty shocking, are they really that expensive to construct or is that figure to cover other infrastructural elements of the build I wonder.

That will be for the cost of the defensive spikes all around the track to puncture tyres of any JCB's that get near it.

Chivito550

sideswipe wrote: »

Good to see a new track being build whatever the circumstances. An estimated cost of 3 million for a track is pretty shocking, are they really that expensive to construct or is that figure to cover other infrastructural elements of the build I wonder.

For that price you’d want to have a full indoor sprint track, indoor jumping and throwing areas etc. and the outdoor track better be 8 lanes, not this 6 lane rubbish they suggested a good while back, and everything to be mondo.

I thought a mondo track cost 1.2 million?

Down South

That price includes 20 years maintenance according to Irish Times

Testosterscone

Chivito550 wrote: »

For that price you’d want to have a full indoor sprint track, indoor jumping and throwing areas etc. and the outdoor track better be 8 lanes, not this 6 lane rubbish they suggested a good while back, and everything to be mondo.

I thought a mondo track cost 1.2 million?

Other factors which can be a factor is the foundations of the track and adequate drainage (given this car park is currently in a bowl this would have to be tackled to prevent flooding)

Also the provision is there for 20years of maintenance so this figure could be included in that price (full details are speculative at this moment in time)

sideswipe

Planning application in progress-

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/plans-for-new-ucd-athletics-track-now-up-and-running-1.3751575