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Is Energy Solutions Arena obsolete?

Um, why is it a POS? I've only been in a handful of arenas over the years, but the ESA seems pretty damn nice to me. Not too freaking huge, food/memorabilia stands are decently placed, parking is decent, and it's easy on the eye from the outside.
 
I went to a few different places last year and I would say that ESA is top notch. Old doesn't equal crappy.
 
TroutBum said:
Um, why is it a POS? I've only been in a handful of arenas over the years, but the ESA seems pretty damn nice to me. Not too freaking huge, food/memorabilia stands are decently placed, parking is decent, and it's easy on the eye from the outside.
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Totally agree. Sure it's not state of the art and lacks a nice video screen (for which I heard they'll be making upgrades in the near future), but the building is great. I've been to other arenas and I don't like how they feel. ESA is structured perfectly for basketball, with decent to great views all around and it provides the effect that many players/coaches have touched on given the steepness of the lower bowl stands, the crowd feels almost on top of you. And as far as location it beats most other arenas soundly as lots of teams have to build outside the city.

I don't think they'd ever build a new stadium. If it came down to it, they'd do renovations.
 
Nobody is arguing that it doesn't have endearing qualities to Jazz fans. But if you go to any Arena worthwhile you can tell that it is not all that nice. It's obvious that these arenas are supposed to be basketball oriented. But they also are used for many other events throughout the year. It's the worst venue you can find for a concert in the state of Utah. The echoing of sound causes headaches. It might look nice on the outside but it is the inside that counts and all that exposed concrete sure looks beautiful. I have had seats throughout the Arena and while it works for Utah, I wouldn't go on to say it is nice. To me it is a POS. JMO.
 
trigg3r said:
It's a POS, but what can you do? I don't see them building something new anytime soon. If they do eventually build something new then I hope they keep quality in mind.
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When I look at the arena it's not all bad thoughts. It's hallowed sacred ground because our beloved team plays there.
It's just ugly. There is no denying that if we are being honest. It's always screamed kmart cheap.
Green plastic seats filling the grey parking lot concrete. The arena is even worse from the outside.
 
trigg3r said:
Nobody is arguing that it doesn't have endearing qualities to Jazz fans...
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It is tornado-resistant:

torn8lg.jpg
 
I've been to a game down in Phoenix (can't remember the name of the arena off the top of my head) and I was really impressed with their facility. It was much more advanced than the ESA but the seating was horrible. We had lower bowl tickets but it felt like sitting in the nose-bleeds at the ESA. The seating is really what separates the ESA from the other NBA arenas and its really the only thing that matters to me so I don't feel that its outdated.

Besides, the new renovations have been really nice and I'm sure they're planning more.
 
Revolution 9 said:
... It's always screamed kmart cheap...
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There may be something to this. The construction cost, in 2011 dollars, was just $150 million. There can't be many cheaper NBA arenas out there.

It looks like the Palace at Auburn Hills was built a bit cheaper. Power Balance Pavilion cost about half as much to build as ESA. The Oracle Center renovation cost more than the ESA did to build from the ground up.
 
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r_u_s_t_b_u_c_k_e_t said:
There may be something to this. The construction cost, in 2011 dollars, was just $150 million. There can't be many cheaper NBA arenas out there.

It looks like the Palace at Auburn Hills was built a bit cheaper. Power Balance Pavilion cost about half as much to build than ESA. The Oracle Center renovation cost more than the ESA did to build from the ground up.
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Maybe there is something to be said for public funding. I think it's fine, but I don't attend concerts there, only games. I don't really care about a little concrete as long as I can find a convenient beer stand.
 
I think the answer to the thread title's question is "no, but it's close."

Bad acoustics make for better noise against opponents. Seats move up more than they move back. Stuff like that would probably need to be in a new arena to keep the "fans on top of you" feel.
 
Randy Rigby was on the radio this summmer and he said the Jazz felt like with the new renovations, they hoped to get 15-to-20 more years out of the arena. That seems about right.
 
The fan base, the atmosphere, and the seating are one of the best, if not the best in the NBA.
The arena itself still looks like ****.

Our arena looks hideous, yet it's still a special place to see a basketball game.
 
Who cares about the arena as long as people are still coming to it. If the building sells out, people clearly don't care about the aesthetics.
 
r_u_s_t_b_u_c_k_e_t said:
It is tornado-resistant:

torn8lg.jpg
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I was at work a block south of the DC (to the left of the arena from this angle). I heard a noise (later learned that some power transformers blew up) and ran up to our roof to see if I could see anything. I quickly decided I should be back inside, not on the roof.

The DC/ESA has always been a more about function than aesthetics, but that's the case with a lot of architecture in Utah. It is still a great place for a basketball game, even with too-bright green seats, exposed concrete and horrible concert acoustics. I don't see any changes as long as the building still functions, aside from renovations from time to time (expanding/updating the locker room, etc.).
 
trigg3r said:
Nobody is arguing that it doesn't have endearing qualities to Jazz fans. But if you go to any Arena worthwhile you can tell that it is not all that nice. It's obvious that these arenas are supposed to be basketball oriented. But they also are used for many other events throughout the year. It's the worst venue you can find for a concert in the state of Utah. The echoing of sound causes headaches. It might look nice on the outside but it is the inside that counts and all that exposed concrete sure looks beautiful. I have had seats throughout the Arena and while it works for Utah, I wouldn't go on to say it is nice. To me it is a POS. JMO.
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It's terrible for concerts, but that's not the question. It's fantastic for basketball.
 
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