Dive Brief:
- A joint venture of Barton Malow, AECOM Hunt and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based Alexander Building Construction Co. will manage the multi-phase construction of Penn State University’s $700 million Beaver Stadium renovation project, the university announced Monday. Kansas City, Missouri-based architect Populous will provide the design.
- Work on the project in State College, Pennsylvania, will begin in January 2025. The team will continue to play home games in the stadium, while the JV rebuilds the west side of the stadium, maintaining its traditional bowl-style seating and adding club and lodge seats and suites.
- Other work includes improved circulation, restrooms, concessions, Wi-Fi, accessibility and other ongoing code upgrades. The project team anticipates completion ahead of the 2027 football season.
Dive Insight:
In addition to other work, winterization measures including pipe insulation will allow the Penn State football team to host more games when temperatures dip below freezing.
Populous also provided designs for the new Buffalo Bills stadium. Scott Radecic, Populous senior principal and founder, graduated from Penn State where he captained the football team.
Beaver Stadium has been the home of the Nittany Lions since 1960, and has undergone six expansions to bring it to its current capacity of 106,572. It ranks as the second-largest stadium in the country — behind the University of Michigan’s in Ann Arbor — and fourth largest in the world, according to StateCollege.com.
The project, which the Penn State Board of Trustees voted on in May, will receive no tuition dollars or educational budget funds. Instead, construction will use solely intercollegiate athletics funds.
Stadium upgrades around the country
Penn State joins other colleges and universities such as Kansas, Florida, West Point and Fresno State that are working on upgrades to their sports venues. Other schools have recently announced plans improve their facilities as well.
The University of Nebraska Cornhuskers’ Memorial Stadium in Lincoln will undergo a $450 million makeover in order to improve the game day experience, the Omaha World-Herald reported. It’s the most expensive construction project in the school’s history.
The 100-year-old stadium will see its southern portion demolished and replaced with multiple-level grandstands with a new student section and concourse, along with a premium seating area. As a result, when the 2024 season ends, seating will be unavailable in that section for the 2025 season, and possibly the following year as well.
In the South, the University of Central Florida hopes to leverage some tourism taxes to improve its athletic facilities. The school applied to the Tourist Development Tax Citizen Advisory Task Force, aiming to land $176.6 million in funds spread over 10 years. That would cover part of the $267.8 million total cost it has in mind for projects.
The request includes enhancements to FBC Mortgage Stadium, home of the UCF football team, and renovations to Additional Financial Arena and the Venue, which hosts basketball, volleyball, concerts and other events.
