Miller Hill Expansion/Re-Grade Done In Time For 2020 Season!

[GreatAppSt]

I have always liked Wake Forests Deacon hill It's like Miller hill. Just closer by a track and pole vault landing area.

[AppSt94]

Hopefully they will use turf instead of grass.

[EastHallApp]

Glad to hear it. I'm more interested to hear how we'll use the new walkway space. Would be a cool location for some cafe tables, or even premium box seating. Beer garden wouldn't bother me, but seems like less of a priority now that beer is available throughout the stadium.

[hapapp]

I will wait to see the finished product before I bemoan what was done or not done. I'm sure they want to preserve as much space around the actual playing surface for practice purposes.

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

Personally, I’d like to see a hand-hewn log cabin there with a front porch. Aka yosefs cabin. Perhaps a beer garden in front. I’m serious. Basically like the Tampa Bay Bucs ship

And the top 5 posters per month here get free access.

[biggie]

I'd still probably like some bleachers built in to the top of the hill to get more seats and then leave bottom half open for grass sitting/crazy kid area. But probably not the most feasible thing to do, go high at all you block the view from that concourse area.

[SayYesToTheRock]

I would like to see the hill brought closer to the field than Gillin said.

The red line shows where Gillin (on Twitter) said they're discussing the end of the hill. That is still over 20 yards behind the end zone.

Improvement? Definitely. But still leaves much to be desired.

The only reason I can think they'd leave this much space is if they need it for practice.

[ericsaid]

So like this?

Going to make a huge difference in the visual of the field.

Something no one has really mentioned is how the closer hill and closed end with the new Field House will impact the crowd noise.

[Yosef84]

I don't think that back-filling the hill is intended to be the long term seating solution. It will improve the view somewhat, but I would think the main goal is creating the plaza space at the top while moving the hill in closer to the field. I still think the long-term answer will be building stands. I know there is a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in the hill but a Top 25 program shouldn't have to sell grass seats in order to approach 30K.

[AppGrad78]

I will wait to see the finished product before I bemoan what was done or not done. I'm sure they want to preserve as much space around the actual playing surface for practice purposes.

I usually try to avoid complaining on this board because I think we do too much of it. But in this case, if enough people voice their opinions, we have a chance of getting a better finished product. We know Doug Gillin is at least willing to consider the fans’ perspective.

[GregPercussion]

I like the idea of keeping/grading the hill but making nice plaza. Just hard with the scoreboard there.

Related: I bet they're going to stick the black block-A in the middle of the field as well.

[ArmantiWaterSafety]

I would like to see the hill brought closer to the field than Gillin said.

Let me just take away that track

[Appstate88]

Glad we are doing it now versus later. I trust DG to do it the best he can with the resources he has. If you want it better send him the money.

If I had a say. I would make the Plaza large enough to accommodate temporary bleachers on each side of the score board for future P5 home games. I would keep it a grass hill. I would add a giant “Rock” boulder” as a focal point below the scoreboard and also reduce the overall slope of Miller Hill.

I remember busting my a$$ a couple times back in college on that slick steep bank.

[General Moore]

I would like to see the hill brought closer to the field than Gillin said.

The red line shows where Gillin (on Twitter) said they're discussing the end of the hill. That is still over 20 yards behind the end zone.

Improvement? Definitely. But still leaves much to be desired.

The only reason I can think they'd leave this much space is if they need it for practice.

As a builder, my guess would be that they are going to grade the hill in a way that leaves space in front of it to build stands in a few years. It would be stupid not to plan ahead and I'm sure they are doing so.

I also think it would be baddass if in a few years they would consider digging the main field down about 25 ft deeper which would make room to extend the stands all the way around and bring the fans closer!

Hopefully they are considering all of these things as they expand! Surely they are...

[Rick83]

I would like to see the hill brought closer to the field than Gillin said.

The red line shows where Gillin (on Twitter) said they're discussing the end of the hill. That is still over 20 yards behind the end zone.

Improvement? Definitely. But still leaves much to be desired.

The only reason I can think they'd leave this much space is if they need it for practice.

As a builder, my guess would be that they are going to grade the hill in a way that leaves space in front of it to build stands in a few years. It would be stupid not to plan ahead and I'm sure they are doing so.

I also think it would be baddass if in a few years they would consider digging the main field down about 25 ft deeper which would make room to extend the stands all the way around and bring the fans closer!

Hopefully they are considering all of these things as they expand! Surely they are...

Lowering the field is a great idea which has been discussed on this board before but there are those, who seem to be in the know with inside info, that the rock underneath would be too much of an obstacle along with a creek that runs beneath the field. Since you're a builder, do you have a perspective on that?

[SayYesToTheRock]

I also think it would be baddass if in a few years they would consider digging the main field down about 25 ft deeper which would make room to extend the stands all the way around and bring the fans closer!

My understanding is, there is a creek running beneath KBS which prevents us from lowering the field.

Another way to bring the stands closer to the field could be by replacing the existing lower stands with re-graded ones. If this were done at the same time that the hill was bowled in, the stands could connect, and tie KBS together extremely well.

That would be an expensive project though –– and probably 10 years out, at least.

[APPdiesel]

Have to think re-grading the hill to the point Doug wants to serves the purpose as footing for future permanent seating. Grade it, cover it, use it for a year or two, let it settle, then if the demand and funding are there build stands on it that would reach another 5-10 yards closer to the field.

We wouldn't have the tightest confines in the league but it'll be symmetrical all the way around.

[APP93]

Wow, I did not know this was in the plans. I am almost as excited about this as the current construction project. I've always liked having the hill, but just could not stand how far away it is from the field, this is a huge improvement. Also, that concourse is and has always been good awful, this extra room and having a nice plaza area will be great.

[APPdiesel]

Another way to bring the stands closer to the field could be by replacing the existing lower stands with re-graded ones.

I just wonder if that would put the lower level at such a shallow angle that sight lines would stink. I also wish we'd go to individual chair backs. Even as a student I hated bleacher surfing on those aluminum seats. One drunk guy (sometimes me) lost balance and a whole row got taken out. It was dangerous then and it's dangerous now.

[NO.2]

I would like to see the hill brought closer to the field than Gillin said.

The red line shows where Gillin (on Twitter) said they're discussing the end of the hill. That is still over 20 yards behind the end zone.

Improvement? Definitely. But still leaves much to be desired.

The only reason I can think they'd leave this much space is if they need it for practice.

When I was on the video staff back in '11 that area was used by the Oline for their drills.