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Home fields on campus

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JCHillmen

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Nov 30, 2001
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I know schools like SHG and MC have invested heavily in getting home fields on campus in recent years and moving away from longstanding, larger publicly owned rental facilities.

I see the nursing home adjacent to JCA is set to be demolished in the near future. The Herald News mentioned that since the Sisters of St. Francis own both JCA and the retirement home that JCA would have right of first refusal to purchase the property. It is a large property with lots of possibility. I have no inside knowledge and am merely speculating, but if the school could fundraise and find the capital, then that could be the property that allows the construction of a home facility for football, soccer, etc.

Memorial Stadium has been home for over 70 years and the big game atmosphere there with 10,000 in the stands is hard to give up. But high school crowds are fractions of what they used to be and a home facility would certainly be tempting. Partnering with youth football, soccer, or baseball organizations or even the park district could help offset the cost if there is mutual interest. If not, I am sure there would be rental interest once built.

Once again, there is no news here other than that the property adjacent to JCA will be demolished and it sounds like the school has dibs on the property if it has interest. To buy or not to buy will certainly be an interesting decision. The school also owns lots of property behind the school which is largely open space for lower level practices/open space but it is pretty far off the beaten path. The nursing home property would offer a closer walk from the school and a more prominent location to house a sports facility.
 
JCHillmen said:
I know schools like SHG and MC have invested heavily in getting home fields on campus in recent years and moving away from longstanding, larger publicly owned rental facilities.

I see the nursing home adjacent to JCA is set to be demolished in the near future. The Herald News mentioned that since the Sisters of St. Francis own both JCA and the retirement home that JCA would have right of first refusal to purchase the property. It is a large property with lots of possibility. I have no inside knowledge and am merely speculating, but if the school could fundraise and find the capital, then that could be the property that allows the construction of a home facility for football, soccer, etc.

Memorial Stadium has been home for over 70 years and the big game atmosphere there with 10,000 in the stands is hard to give up. But high school crowds are fractions of what they used to be and a home facility would certainly be tempting. Partnering with youth football, soccer, or baseball organizations or even the park district could help offset the cost if there is mutual interest. If not, I am sure there would be rental interest once built.

Once again, there is no news here other than that the property adjacent to JCA will be demolished and it sounds like the school has dibs on the property if it has interest. To buy or not to buy will certainly be an interesting decision. The school also owns lots of property behind the school which is largely open space for lower level practices/open space but it is pretty far off the beaten path. The nursing home property would offer a closer walk from the school and a more prominent location to house a sports facility.
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Hey Hill! Don't think it makes sense. They just replaced the turf at ATI/Memorial Stadium. They don't have to share it with Joliet West or Central, both of which have nice facilities of their own (replacing turf this summer). JCA has the long history and memories at the current stadium, and plenty of parking. No need for youth soccer and football to play there with three taxpayer funded football stadiums already in town. And it's only a few miles away. Makes more sense to see St. Francis build a new academic hall or a modern retirement complex there. The old building is pretty depressing to look at. Retirement village would generate more $$ than stadium. Finally... Memorial Stadium is walking distance from several sports bars and restaurants creating nice gameday experience.
 
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One of the best decisions MC made. You make a great point with the crowd’s dwindling and an empty feeling in the stadium. I loved watching MC play JCA there in front of 10,000. Gately had an empty feeling there at the end. Moving to our home field has been a blessing for the entire program
 
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NNFAN said:
Hey Hill! Don't think it makes sense. They just replaced the turf at ATI/Memorial Stadium. They don't have to share it with Joliet West or Central, both of which have nice facilities of their own (replacing turf this summer). JCA has the long history and memories at the current stadium, and plenty of parking. No need for youth soccer and football to play there with three taxpayer funded football stadiums already in town. And it's only a few miles away. Makes more sense to see St. Francis build a new academic hall or a modern retirement complex there. The old building is pretty depressing to look at. Retirement village would generate more $$ than stadium. Finally... Memorial Stadium is walking distance from several sports bars and restaurants creating nice gameday experience.
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They replaced the turf but it’s all St. Francis Saints colors isn’t it? Does it have any homage to JCA on there? I haven’t been there is years so I’m asking honestly
 
McCaravan said:
They replaced the turf but it’s all St. Francis Saints colors isn’t it? Does it have any homage to JCA on there? I haven’t been there is years so I’m asking honestly
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The turf doesnt have anyone's specific colors on it. There is no reference to any school on the turf
 
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USD24 said:
The turf doesnt have anyone's specific colors on it. There is no reference to any school on the turf
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Did it used too? I thought I saw a clip with some design, maybe I just assumed
 
McCaravan said:
Did it used too? I thought I saw a clip with some design, maybe I just assumed
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Joliet park district logos in the past. I believe end zones say Memorial and Stadium, or at least the old turf did. There is also some turf design for the field sponsor, previously ATI and now Busey Bank.
 
McCaravan said:
One of the best decisions MC made. You make a great point with the crowd’s dwindling and an empty feeling in the stadium. I loved watching MC play JCA there in front of 10,000. Gately had an empty feeling there at the end. Moving to our home field has been a blessing for the entire program
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Great decision by MC. More students at the games, more grammar school kids/teams, keep all the profits not having to rent out Gately, no scheduling conflicts come playoff time.
 
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DeanOfSelection said:
Great decision by MC. More students at the games, more grammar school kids/teams, keep all the profits not having to rent out Gately, no scheduling conflicts come playoff time.
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Yeah very hard to argue what a great decision this was for MC......JCA is a much different situation and I can see them buying that land but also not being in a huge hurry to do anything with it
 
EdgyTim said:
JCA is a much different situation and I can see them buying that land but also not being in a huge hurry to do anything with it
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Will all depend on fund raising. You're talking tens of millions to make it happen.
 
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JCHillmen said:
I know schools like SHG and MC have invested heavily in getting home fields on campus in recent years and moving away from longstanding, larger publicly owned rental facilities.

I see the nursing home adjacent to JCA is set to be demolished in the near future. The Herald News mentioned that since the Sisters of St. Francis own both JCA and the retirement home that JCA would have right of first refusal to purchase the property. It is a large property with lots of possibility. I have no inside knowledge and am merely speculating, but if the school could fundraise and find the capital, then that could be the property that allows the construction of a home facility for football, soccer, etc.

Memorial Stadium has been home for over 70 years and the big game atmosphere there with 10,000 in the stands is hard to give up. But high school crowds are fractions of what they used to be and a home facility would certainly be tempting. Partnering with youth football, soccer, or baseball organizations or even the park district could help offset the cost if there is mutual interest. If not, I am sure there would be rental interest once built.

Once again, there is no news here other than that the property adjacent to JCA will be demolished and it sounds like the school has dibs on the property if it has interest. To buy or not to buy will certainly be an interesting decision. The school also owns lots of property behind the school which is largely open space for lower level practices/open space but it is pretty far off the beaten path. The nursing home property would offer a closer walk from the school and a more prominent location to house a sports facility.
Click to expand...
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this.

If the sisters own JCA, plus the building to be demolished, plus the land that both sit on, how is it that JCA has the right of first refusal? If JCA is a separate entity from the property owner, (are they or aren't they?), how can JCA refuse to allow a purchase offer to go forward on land it basically would be buying from itself?

Did the Herald News interview someone from the Sisters of St. Francis who stated, specifically, that JCA has the "right of first refusal" (which is generally a written contract)...or could this all be speculation on the part of the writer?

I 100% understand that the sisters most likely are looking to cash in on their land. That part, I get. Where I start scratching my head is that the owners of the school also own the land that the school wants to acquire for its purpose. Throw in a purported right of first refusal, and then my head starts to spin.
 
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EdgyTim said:
Yeah very hard to argue what a great decision this was for MC......JCA is a much different situation and I can see them buying that land but also not being in a huge hurry to do anything with it
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As pjjp says, it all depends on fundraising. If they are able to raise the money to buy the land, not being in a hurry to do anything with the land will not sit well with donors. They need to raise the money to buy the land and improve the land at the same time.
 
ramblinman said:
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this.

If the sisters own JCA, plus the building to be demolished, plus the land that both sit on, how is it that JCA has the right of first refusal? If JCA is a separate entity from the property owner, (are they or aren't they?), how can JCA refuse to allow a purchase offer to go forward on land it basically would be buying from itself?

Did the Herald News interview someone from the Sisters of St. Francis who stated, specifically, that JCA has the "right of first refusal" (which is generally a written contract)...or could this all be speculation on the part of the writer?

I 100% understand that the sisters most likely are looking to cash in on their land. That part, I get. Where I start scratching my head is that the owners of the school also own the land that the school wants to acquire for its purpose. Throw in a purported right of first refusal, and then my head starts to spin.
Click to expand...
The sister in the article was clear that JCA had right of first refusal on the property. What exactly that entails was left unclear. She also mentioned that “we share a mission” when referring to JCA and the sisters/former retirement home.

So yes, but not being in the know in the JCA or Sisters of Saint Francis business offices leaves the details cloudy. If JCA exercises their right, do they just “get” to take for free and improve the property while the sisters maintain ownership? Or are the sisters executing a transaction where JCA purchases the property? But if that happens, then do the sisters own the school and the school (JCA) now owns the former nursing home? If so, does that make JCA a tenant to the Franciscans on the educational side but then their own landlord on the former nursing home property?

I am not privy to the real estate dealings of the school and the sisters to know the answers to any of these questions, but they all crossed my mind, just like they seemingly crossed your mind.

Who would be buying what, if anything, from whom?
 
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NNFAN said:
Finally... Memorial Stadium is walking distance from several sports bars and restaurants creating nice gameday experience.
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Yeah, as long as you are careful not to get run down on Rt 52. LOL! And why walk to a bar when you can tailgate right there in the parking lot? :rolleyes:
 
Been to the new field at Taft High School in Norwood Park and it was really nice. It'd be awesome if more CPS schools could do that. Have to believe two teams at Gatley, from nowhere near Gately, playing at 4pm on Thursday doesn't do much for the hype of their football team.
 
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JCHillmen said:
The sister in the article was clear that JCA had right of first refusal on the property. What exactly that entails was left unclear. She also mentioned that “we share a mission” when referring to JCA and the sisters/former retirement home.

So yes, but not being in the know in the JCA or Sisters of Saint Francis business offices leaves the details cloudy. If JCA exercises their right, do they just “get” to take for free and improve the property while the sisters maintain ownership? Or are the sisters executing a transaction where JCA purchases the property? But if that happens, then do the sisters own the school and the school (JCA) now owns the former nursing home? If so, does that make JCA a tenant to the Franciscans on the educational side but then their own landlord on the former nursing home property?

I am not privy to the real estate dealings of the school and the sisters to know the answers to any of these questions, but they all crossed my mind, just like they seemingly crossed your mind.

Who would be buying what, if anything, from whom?
Click to expand...
Where does JCA practice ?
 
forlouann said:
Where does JCA practice ?
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There is a practice field and track on campus. To renovate it into a stadium may take quite a bit of work and you would be quite restricted by some space issues. Would be easier to build new on different land.

There are also tennis fields and a softball diamond between the school and newly available property. I could see them deciding to move tennis and softball on new property and building stadium on existing tennis and softball area.
 
JCHillmen said:
There is a practice field and track on campus. To renovate it into a stadium may take quite a bit of work and you would be quite restricted by some space issues. Would be easier to build new on different land.

There are also tennis fields and a softball diamond between the school and newly available property. I could see them deciding to move tennis and softball on new property and building stadium on existing tennis and softball area.
Click to expand...
After seeing how MC converted their limited space into a legit stadium makes me think anything is possible.
 
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JCHillmen said:
I know schools like SHG and MC have invested heavily in getting home fields on campus in recent years and moving away from longstanding, larger publicly owned rental facilities.

I see the nursing home adjacent to JCA is set to be demolished in the near future. The Herald News mentioned that since the Sisters of St. Francis own both JCA and the retirement home that JCA would have right of first refusal to purchase the property. It is a large property with lots of possibility. I have no inside knowledge and am merely speculating, but if the school could fundraise and find the capital, then that could be the property that allows the construction of a home facility for football, soccer, etc.

Memorial Stadium has been home for over 70 years and the big game atmosphere there with 10,000 in the stands is hard to give up. But high school crowds are fractions of what they used to be and a home facility would certainly be tempting. Partnering with youth football, soccer, or baseball organizations or even the park district could help offset the cost if there is mutual interest. If not, I am sure there would be rental interest once built.

Once again, there is no news here other than that the property adjacent to JCA will be demolished and it sounds like the school has dibs on the property if it has interest. To buy or not to buy will certainly be an interesting decision. The school also owns lots of property behind the school which is largely open space for lower level practices/open space but it is pretty far off the beaten path. The nursing home property would offer a closer walk from the school and a more prominent location to house a sports facility.
Click to expand...
All.... The SHG build was not strictly for a stadium. With no complex they played like many private schools at the city owned Memorial Stadium. Sometimes Saturday when the field was being used on Friday. Anyway....

SHG has an east and west complex about a block from each other. This goes back to the days when Sacred Heart was an all girls high school and Griffin boys. They consolidated in 1988. Both have needed major building improvements for many years. So in 2009 the word came out for a big funding project for the fix. If I recall correctly 6 million was the figure. But no mention of a football stadium.

I will also add that for years alumni have wanted to do something similar for a field only. What I was told that was a no go with the Good Sisters that run the show over at SHG. Now "people" got together again feeling the potential to get the donors and money would be enhanced if they added in a new stadium. 6 went to 8 million and I think it ended up being a bit more overall. Also it was my understanding that the stadium would not be built until they had two thirds of the projects cost pledged even though all of this was going to go through with a bank loan. The rest is history. Ratsy
 
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Cross Bones said:
After seeing how MC converted their limited space into a legit stadium makes me think anything is possible.
Click to expand...
JCHillmen said:
There is a practice field and track on campus. To renovate it into a stadium may take quite a bit of work and you would be quite restricted by some space issues. Would be easier to build new on different land.

There are also tennis fields and a softball diamond between the school and newly available property. I could see them deciding to move tennis and softball on new property and building stadium on existing tennis and softball area.
Click to expand...
Glancing at the JCA campus on maps, it would appear they have room to make it happen if they'd ditch the track. I know this then puts track elsewhere. That said, it's probably possible to keep the track and utilize the limited space on the east side of the field for seating. Could also include endzone bleachers, like MC, to utilize the space more and add some extra seats.

That said, whatever the 2nd smaller ball field is south of the current layout could be removed and shift the football setup south, would open up opportunity for seating and press box on the west end of the field. Or, you buy the place next door and then you have a more than adequate space for as fancy a football setup you would ever want!

Edit: Question... do they also own the land just north of the current football/track setup? Probably enough space for field/track with seating on both sides in that space. I mean let's get creative here Hilltoppers!
 
JCHillmen said:
There is a practice field and track on campus. To renovate it into a stadium may take quite a bit of work and you would be quite restricted by some space issues. Would be easier to build new on different land.

There are also tennis fields and a softball diamond between the school and newly available property. I could see them deciding to move tennis and softball on new property and building stadium on existing tennis and softball area.
Click to expand...
Thank you. 😊
 
kpjasion said:
Been to the new field at Taft High School in Norwood Park and it was really nice. It'd be awesome if more CPS schools could do that. Have to believe two teams at Gatley, from nowhere near Gately, playing at 4pm on Thursday doesn't do much for the hype of their football team.
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1- Don’t sleep on the early Thursday starts!
2- That Taft field is awesome. Great location next to the Kennedy, but it is always packed, and almost impossible to get in and see a game if you aren’t a parent or student because the stands are so small.
 
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