From the Daily Breeze, regarding the Pauley Pavilion renovation, by staff writers Brian Dohn and Jill Painter:

Why bring this up now?

Well, it's in today's paper. And while the focus for the team (and I guess the fans) is supposed to be on nothing but aTm, the PP renovation is  vital to the future of the program. If Smith and Theodorou are key to that project, then their hiring is news worth knowing.

How long until someone is asking for the names of everyone involved -- so we can all write them emails?

Let's stay with the theme of honoring and preserving the legacy of the Patriarch of our basketball program.

Some of you have already flagged this awesome article entitled "Pauley Pavillion: What's Not To Love?" from WWL.

Doug Ward, a Southern California based freelance writer, who wrote up that piece for WWL's "Sports Travel" section, basically put together what amounts to a brochure straight out of the admissions office (as if they need any extra attention lol).

Read the entire thing. It's AWESOME.  However, I thought I highlight the some of the following grafs given our ongoing vibrant conversation re. restoration of Pauley:

This story from Wednesday's Los Angeles Times should come as no surprise to anyone:

Pauley Pavilion plays catch-up

And:

Feel free to read the whole article, linked above. But the bottom line is, when you hear talk of having a new building for the basketball team by "Coach's 100th birthday," they're talking about Coach Howland, not Coach Wooden.

UPDATE (A): About that headline ...

As I've gone back and forth in the comments section with a few posters, I've started to regret a bit such a confrontational headline. My initial reaction to the Times' article was that someone, somewhere was screwing up.

The more I think about it, I'm not sure that's the case. It's possible someone is screwing up, it's also possible that this is just an enormous project and that it's going to take time.

If anything was "fusterclucked" it was that expectations were raised as to the timing of the project and those expectations were never realistic.

Overall, I'm willing to back off a bit, wait and see, give it a little more time. It may be a while before the whole thing hits fustercluck status.

I will get to other basketball notes in a bit. I wanted to started the day with a note on Pauley renovation. Stop me if I have heard this note before. A few weeks ago Menelaus gave us a depressing update on how we have essentially lost one year in Pauley's restoration. Apparently the bureaucrats at Morgan Center found themselves at the starting line all over again after they were not able to reconcile cost-estimation issues with an architecture firm - HOK Sport - they hired a year ago (spending $500,000 in the process) to get this project done.

After losing a year in this process, it looks like UCLA is starting all over again by hiring a new architecture firm NBBJ:

So, we have another game against the gap-closing losers from across town.  And just about all that anyone can point to in support of the purported "rivalry" is that USC has managed to get themselves a new building.

So, I suppose it's about time that we'd get an update on Pauley.

Last year at about this time, I wrote a series of posts because I was frustrated at the ridiculously slow pace of the effort to restore Pauley.  Shortly thereafter, as coincidence would have it, there was a burst of activity coming from the Morgan Center.  A respected architect was hired, meetings were held, donors were surveyed, ideas for improvements were discussed, and a firm timeline was released- with the new building's opening set to coincide with Coach's 100th birthday.  And, as progress seemed to be being made, and events on the field took our attention, time has passed.

Well, it's been nearly a year.  And Dohn has an update on where things stand.  He doesn't come out and say this, but since last February the wheels have fallen off the wagon.

Let's start with a recap of where we are:

Why, you ask?  Well, for one, UCLA couldn't play nice with its architect, the well-regarded HOK Sport:

So, presumably, UCLA was able to work things out with HOK and keep the project moving, right?  Or maybe not:

But why has it taken months and months to find a replacement firm?  As Dohn points out, the plans are key to fundraising:

On the positive side to the ledger, I'm at least pleased to see that UCLA is starting to come to grips with the cost of a genuine renovation of Pauley.  I'd be the first to support a $200 million project, assuming we got value for that, but it's still nice to see that UCLA is prepared to spend $120 on a "much more expansive, and expensive, renovation."  Indeed, my biggest fear, aside from the project never getting off the ground, is that we'd have a "renovation" like we saw at the Rose Bowl a few years ago.  Yes, some new ill-fitting seats and a few gallons of paint won't do.  It certainly wouldn't respect the unmatched tradition of UCLA basketball and the history of Pauley Pavilion.

One more interesting note.  There has been some speculation as to where UCLA would play during the construction phase of the project- assuming that ever happens.  We'll, it looks like the Forum is the favorite:

I'm sure Nestor will have a game day thread up soon.  For today, at least, the building won't matter much, so long as our warriors come out focused.  After that, we can get back to the business of restoring Pauley.

GO BRUINS.

Given there is so much interest in Bruins Nation wrt to restoration of the Cathedral of College Hoops, I am surprised I didn’t see any comments on this little detail from Dohn’s post West Va report earlier in the week:

This is Part IV in a periodic series.  Here is Part I, Part II and Part III.

So, enough history, already.  Are we going to get a renovated Pauley Pavilion or not?

We've seen that we can't allow ourselves to be lulled into complacency by the AD's yearly update.  Sure, hearing something intriguing about the proposed flashy new amenities every year or so is all well and good, but it means nothing without any follow through.   And its about time to demand more forthright information about the timing and substance of the proposed project.   But, where does that leave us?   Is there any genuine hope?

I think so.  Despite the obstacles, I think we can have a restored Pauley by the end of the decade.  And its not because I have a cool $10 million burning a hole in my pocket.  So, why the optimism?  Well, a few things.

First off, we have one of the best teams in the land.  Not only do we have a quality group of players, and incredible incoming pipeline of recruits, and a dream head coach in his dream job, we also have a talented supporting cast, including some assistants that don't get as much credit as they deserve.  What does that mean?  It means that, barring something unforeseen, we are going to have a quality product on the court for the foreseeable future.  It means that we will keep the seats full.  It means that the media, like it or not, will have to keep watching.  And, for all these reasons, the administration will have no choice but to recognize how important the continued vitality of this program is to everything they do.  In other words, we have fertile ground for a renovation project.  

Also, the lynchpin of all this success, Ben Howland, has a track record that bodes well for a renovation project.  Anyone been to this place?

Yep, that's the state of the art Petersen Events Center, which is described by the good folks in Pittsburgh as follows:

Second, we have a new man at the top.  And I mean the top-top.  Nestor has already been so kind as to make the introduction.  As you know, UCLA has a new chancellor, Gene D. Block.  It will be a few months before he takes office, but we have at least one reason to hope chancellor Block will make restoring Pauley a priority.  Perhaps you've been here:

This is the John Paul Jones Arena, which opened in the summer of 2006, replacing and almost doubling in size Virginia's previous facility, University Hall.  It hard to tell how much of a role chancellor (then Virginia's provost) Block had in this project, but it good news that he comes from a university that has historically made first class athletic facilities a high priority.

Third, despite my feelings about the direction of the football program, I still have some faith left in Dan Guerrero.  The clock is ticking, and I think we all deserve some information, answers and action, but I can't help but think that the coach who brought us Ben Howland (with a hearty assist from Ben himself) will get this done.  Don't prove me wrong, Dan.

Fourth, we have, well, us.  That's right.  We have perhaps the most engage, energetic, informed and resourceful fan bases, right here.  And we can make a difference.  Listen, I am not one to discount the power of coincidence.  But, I can't help to think that the administration is starting to notice the importance of this project to the larger Bruins nation.  So, as charnaw pointed out, this was released by the athletic department just yesterday.

And, as Allofmybros has pointed out already, its seems like more and more folks, including our friends in the MSM, are starting to take some notice.

Again, I can't get too excited about all this.  On the one hand, I'm heartened by the fact that the athletic department feels confident enough about its progress to announce a tentative 2010 deadline for the "restored Pauley", which, as some folks have already pointed out, would mean that we could expect a funding push by the end of this year (as DG said in December), and even construction relatively soon.  On the other hand, we've heard similar promises before, without results.

But, at least we have some good reasons to have hope.  Sure, the latest press release isn't enough to placate us.  We want to see tangible evidence of progress on this long overdue renovation project.  But, it's a a step in the right direction.

Next up:  Part V: Doing it Right

GO BRUINS.  

This is Part III in a periodic series.  Here is Part I and Part II.

We can agree that it's time to renovate Pauley Pavilion.  So, what's going on?  

If you're like me, you have a vague recollection of reading an article every year or so, full of tantalizing promises, yet without any tangible results.   Or, perhaps you've been told something startlingly vague by someone associated with the university.  Either way, it seems like the same old story over and over.

As I mentioned in Part I, the administration is now apparently in the process of hiring an architect.  But, is this real progress, or just the most recent demonstration of faux progress meant to placate the alumni base?  Time will tell.  For a historical perspective, let's review the road behind us.

As of late March 2003, Ben Howland wouldn't be named UCLA's head coach for another week.  But, renovation of Pauley has already a top priority, at least for Ben.  From the LA Times:

Nevertheless, the Pauley renovation effort floundered, as this DB article from April 2003 lamented the lack of private funding:

Yet, there was another glimmer of hope in mid-2004:

The lesson, of course, is that as we look at these things, and hear the latest announcements, its fair to ask whether there has been genuine progress, or if the administration is just going through the motions.  We'll see, as this story continues.

Lots more history after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

This is Part II in a periodic series.  Here is Part I.

You know the drill.  It's time to get serious about restoring Pauley.

Before we delve into the subject more deeply, let's spend a few moments on the then and now.

First, the then -- the construction of Pauley Pavilion

As many of you many know, Pauley Pavilion was dedicated in June, 1965, and was named for University of California Regent Edwin W. Pauley, who donated almost one fifth of the more than $5,000,000 spent in building the arena.  According to one source:

And, as remains true today, the building didn't exactly hurt in recruiting.  According to wiki:

Second, the now -- Pauley Pavilion in 2007

A lot has happened since 1965.

With all due respect to the history of Pauley, the arena itself isn't all that great by today's standards.  The seats are set back too far from the court, particularly on the east and west ends, the sightlines are poor from many places, the concession stands, restrooms and other amenities are just plain pathetic, and so on.

And the world around Pauley and UCLA has changed as well.  Let's take a stroll around the facilities in just the Pac-10, and see what our conference foes offer their fans (and potential recruits). Here they are, listed in chronological order since each arena's last major renovation.

• USC - Galen Center.  Yep, our cross town rivals in football, owners of exactly zero hoops tradition, and almost zero hoops success, have managed to build a brand new arena, with the Galen Center opening in the fall of 2006.
• Stanford - Maples Pavilion.  Monty may be gone, but the building his teams played in still benefits from a $26-million renovation in 2004.  Financed entirely through private donations, the new Maples Center was upgraded to include many of modern amenities now standard in today's arenas.
• Washington- Hec Edmundson Pavilion.  Lorenzo Romar has done a lot to invigorate Washington's men's basketball program.  And it sure didn't hurt to get an essentially new building just before he was named head coach in 2002.   Originally completed in 1927, Hec Ed arena underwent a major, $40 million top-to-bottom renovation between March of 1999 and November of 2000.
• California- Hass Pavilion.  Ben Braun is having a tough year.  But, at least his team gets to do it in nice digs.  In the fall of 1999, California opened the Walter A. Haas Jr. Pavilion, a state-of-the-art sports facility that was the centerpiece of a $57.5 million project, and replaced the 60-year old Harmon Gym, while still maintaining its history.
• Arizona State - Wells Fargo Arena.  Even the hapless Sun Devils have a newer arena than UCLA.  Constructed in the spring of 1974 at the cost of $8 million, the 14,198-seat facility was recently updated with a new scoreboard.
• Arizona - McKale Center.  The Wildcats' coach may be older than dirt, but at least they have a newer building than the Bruins.  The McKale Center was opened in 1973 and has a capacity of 14,545 spectators.
• Washington State- Friel Court.  Yes, even the Cougars have a building constructed after the 1960's.  Friel Court came online in 1973, and received a new parquet floor in 2000.
• Oregon State - Gill Coliseum.  Hooray.  A facility actually older than Pauley!  The Beavers' old caverous building, home of Ralph Miller Court, was opened in 1949.
• Oregon- McArthur Court.  The second oldest on-campus arena still in use, Mac Court saw its first game in 1927 and makes Pauley look like a spring chicken.  Still, the intangibles of this historic building, and the intimidating home court advantage it provides (as we, unfortunately, saw Saturday morning), not to mention $5 million in recent renovations, keeps this building on many pundits top-10 lists.

If anyone can to explain to me what twisted version of reality makes this acceptable, I'd love to see it.  Because, otherwise, I think we have to face the fact that UCLA's unmatched legacy has been taken for granted by too many university officials and, yes, alumni.

UCLA has shown before that it can build a facility that is worthy of our team.  It's time to do it again.

Next up:  Part III: The Road Behind Us.

GO BRUINS.

P.S.: I really appreciate all the thoughtful comments in response to Part I.   I will try to circle back to follow up on many of the good subjects you addressed as this series continues.

It's time.

We have the right coach.

We have an incredible team, No. 1 in all the land.

We are the stewards of the greatest tradition in college basketball.

And, yet, something is still strangely missing.  

That's right, a world class facility.

We have allowed a special place, our very own Pauley Pavilion, age rather ungracefully.  And, now that we again have a team and coaches that deserve Pauley, shouldn't we also have an arena that's worthy of UCLA basketball?

There is no question that Pauley is hallowed ground in this sport.  And no one would suggest doing anything to diminish our unmatched history by doing something unholy to Pauley.  Yet, I don't think too many folks will disagree that the 'ole girl needs a facelift.

And, before begin our call for a long overdue major renovation of Pauley, let's stop a moment to consider this great place.  I don't need to remind anyone here, but consider what UCLA has accomplished at Pauley:

• A record 11 NCAA national championships, including 10 under the great John Wooden, and seven in a row from 1967-1973.  
  
• A still unmatched 98-game winning streak.  
  
• 149 Bruin victories against just 2 losses at home between 1965 and 1975.
  
• The college careers of basketball greats Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, Walt Hazzard, Sidney Wicks, Marques Johnson, Ed O'Bannon and Gail Goodrich, among others.
  

I also love that Pauley has become what one observer describes as:

And there are so many other things, both big and small, to revel in about this historic facility.  It is undeniable that Pauley enjoys a glorious history.  Alas, it is also undeniable that it's time for a change.

It's time to get serious about renovating Pauley Pavilion.  And it's time for the university, the athletic department, and yes, the alumni community - including ourselves - to get serious about doing everything possible to realize this goal.

With that said, I have put together a few posts for the coming days that I hope will help keep the pressure on those responsible for the long languishing effort to restore Pauley.

The good news is that the administration appears to be doing at least something, recently putting out an RFQ for an architect for the project.  But this isn't the first time an architect was hired, with the project still going seemingly nowhere.  So, forgive me for not getting my hopes up.  As we go, I, as always, welcome any input/insight any of you may have.

We've seen that this community has the power to influence the debate over the direction of our football program.  I'm hopeful that we can do the same thing with respect to our basketball program.  

Ladies and gents, let's get it on.

For my next installment:  Restore Pauley - Part II: Then & Now.

GO BRUINS.