Ok. Two things:
Official announcement went up for the gyms closing for remodel. Very, very soon.
I think they did something…right now actually. Look at the gyms. Taking a level 3 gym to 4 is now 8000 points. A maxed 10 fort is 52,000 (instead of 12k).
Oh, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this overhaul came with another cp rebalance. Hoarding dust might not be the worst idea.
I expect this as well. Exciting!
I wonder how long they will be down. Hours? Days? One week?
I will make some screenshots of my mons CP’s. Just in case.
And if I were Niantic I would give an extra 10 coins for every mon that will be kicked out.
Well, about the increased esteems. It makes me excited because it makes me think they’re going to do exactly what I’ve wanted them to do.
My idea:
Gyms should be too headachy and too time consuming to battle by yourself. Just you, solo, out there with your phone, you should not be able to crack down a level 10 fort. 9 and lower should be very, very hard too. And the same for getting into a gym. Getting yourself in that slot (by yourself) should be a positive nightmare.
Where am I going with this? Increased reliance on cooperate, social networking team play. Each additional teammate you have helping you with the gym should decrease your handicap. Your guys are stronger and theirs are weaker. At a distinguishable amount per person.
One valor guy, even level 38 or above might have to walk away from that mystic level 10. 4 valors 38 or higher, should be able to trounce that whole thing into the dirt in, like, 2 battles per person.
Seems interesting, right? Now realise how much it fits into the themes of social interaction Niantic wants. THEN realise how this tactic would absolutely murder spoofers, shavers, and a variety of other tactics.
Only thing I would like out of the gym rework is for the cheats to be gone. Tired of looking at that trash, it’s been beyond ridiculous for way too long. 
I need the gyms to be turned back on. I’m on the last slot for my last blue incubator. I also have way too many Pokemon in my storage. I don’t like to transfer them without getting some work out of them prestiging gyms. With the new system, I think I will leave them to defend gyms until they faint and then transfer them without wasting any resources. The new system looks to have lots of turnover so these extra should come in handy.