PSU Ice Arena "Disaster Doors?"

[fatlazyless]

Located at both the front and rear entrances to the new Plymouth State University Ice Arena it is very plain to see, from the outside of the building, an extra set of a very sturdily built, huge steel sliding, one-piece doors. The front door is the size of the entire set of four double (eight total) doors in the front, and about half that size in the rear. The door at the back of the building does not slide, but is hinged, and is equally huge, steel and extra strong looking in construction and design.

What could be their purpose? Anybody know?

Making my best educated guess, they look to me to be some type of a disaster door, or command post style "bunker" door which would roll closed across the mostly glass and aluminum frame, everyday use doors. The new PSU Ice Arena was constructed over the last 18-months and just opened for ice skating on about October 1, 2010.

Upon first seeing them, I was wondering about them as to their purpose, as I have never seen anything like them before on a public building, and was just thinking about that. Are they "homeland security" doors which does make some sense considering the very large size and poured concrete construction of this new building plus its' central location close to Route 93. It does not seem illogical to believe that they are there for some type of command post style bunker protection in case of a public emergency......or something?

Anybody have any info they care to share?

[NonVoting Taxpayer]

Don't know exactly where the new arena is but is it in the area which floods in the spring? If so, it could be to keep the water out should the river flood as it is known to do.

[Lakesrider]

This is exactly correct. Those are the flood doors that were installed due to being in a flood zone area. These doors seal the building stopping water from flooding the arena floor. There is also a state of the art pumping station inside just for that reason as well. It is all tied into the geothermal heating and cooling system, which even uses rain water from the parking lot to pump heat from under the arena. Very cool setup they have there. I took the tour....

I am editing this to include the fact that the doors have seals along the bottom and sides of the doors that are inflated when a flood is predicted. the seals blow up so hard that the doors will actually lift in place....This is what keeps the water out. Forgot to mention how the doors would stop the water....

[BroadHopper]

I can recall the gymnasium next to the interstate being flooded in the early 70's. The building was fairly new then. It was built next to the highway as a political show. The taxpayers paid more than their share for the gym.

[fatlazyless]

That's too bad about the doors just being 'flood doors' and not the fortified bunker entrance to some secret military installation. You know, just in case that Bombadier Recreational Products Company, up in Quibec, decides to roll into the area in the middle of the night and quick set up a manufactoring facility. It would probably employ hundreds of locals at 20-30 dollars/hour building their Skidoo and Seadoo rides and that is just the type of future event that we need to guard against! We must certainly have good military security to keep that from happening in the lakes region.......good grief!

[KTO]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I can recall the gymnasium next to the interstate being flooded in the early 70's. The building was fairly new then. It was built next to the highway as a political show. The taxpayers paid more than their share for the gym.

AND now they are planning on rebuilding that PE Center in four phases (the ice arena was phase 1)

[RANGER CANOE CO]

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

That's too bad about the doors just being 'flood doors' and not the fortified bunker entrance to some secret military installation. You know, just in case that Bombardier Recreational Products Company, up in Quebec, decides to roll into the area in the middle of the night and quick set up a manufacturing facility. It would probably employ hundreds of locals at 20-30 dollars/hour building their Skidoo and Seadoo rides and that is just the type of future event that we need to guard against! We must certainly have good military security to keep that from happening in the lakes region.......good grief!

So your saying your AGAINST a company investing in the lakes Region and creating 200-300 jobs @ $ 20-30 for "US Locals"........ "Disaster door" -"fortified bunker", stop smoking that stuff. Its making you paranoid. AND go back to where you came from. Signed........ " A Local "

[fatlazyless]

hi Ranger Canoe....hey....that little picture of the red canoe of your's....I have a Ranger canoe that looks just like that, identical in shape, except it has an old A-Row-Bic slide seat, row-rig in the middle, and it rows real good! Bought the Ranger, a 20-year old fiberglass fixer-upper last spring from a Meredith guy for about $200, and it is good-to-go for another 20-years. Black vinyl gunnels, hardwood oak or maple seats with broken down seat canning (that's been repaired w/grey canvas type material from Walmart) and sturdy light weight fiberglass! A very nice el cheapo Ranger Canoe because I hear they cost the big-bucks when brand new!
..................

...back on topic!

Concerning my post on Bombardier and a Seadoo-Skidoo manufactorer. Can only wish it would be happening! Some big employer like that, a manufactorer of expensive items with a strong demand would be definately excellent for the area.

Probably, the two biggest manufactorers in the area are Freudenburg-NOK(German-Japan partners) in Bristol which makes silicone injected automobile parts such as gaskets, and other soft car parts. Another manufactorer is Pine Tree castings, a-way over in Newport NH, a division of the Sturm Ruger Co, the biggest handgun and rifle maker in the U.S.

As far as I know, the old Freudenburg-NOK plant on Hounsell Ave Laconia, which employed about 150 up till two years ago is still vacant, closed and FOR SALE, and just waiting for a new owner to move in and get down to making car parts or something!

Would be nice to see a company build on Route 104 similar to the big Vu-tek factory in either New Hampton or Meredith. Currently, both of the commercial construction projects on Route 104 in Meredith; Golden View Health Care and the Visiting Nurse's, are health care related and are probably non-profit and property tax exempt........oh well.....at least they employ people.

Over on Scenic Drive, just north of Weirs Beach; earth moving construction has started up at the Meredith Bay waterfront townhouse project www.meredithbaynh.com on a steep hillside just above the lakefront embankment railroad tracks and future route of the WOW Trail. About 30-years ago, that spot was home to a chinese restaurant, so I've been told, and some concrete foundation pieces are still there? Anyone know what was there, on that Scenic Drive hill top, look-out location that looks across Meredith Bay to Spindle Point tower.

I betcha there's a good strong chance that somebody reading this can recall eating a pu-pu platter from that very spot back in 1979! Were you ever there?