Beaver Stadium Renovation - Pennsylvania State University

https://www.readingeagle.com/2023/05/04/penn-state-committee-approves-plans-for-700-million-beaver-stadium-renovation/ A Penn State Board of Trustees committee on Thursday approved spending $70 million to complete the first phase of an extensive Beaver Stadium renovation that's estimated at $700 million and expected to take four years.. The full Board of Trustees will vote Friday on the renovation, which includes winterizing the stadium -- giving Penn State the ability to host a College Football Playoff game in 2024 -- complete reconstruction of the west stands and adding club seats, loge seats and suites. If approved, the first phase is expected to be completed within the next year and will include priority maintenance projects and architectural and design development. The winterization work includes the insulation of pipes and other upgrades, which will allow the stadium to be used when temperatures are below freezing. The second phase is expected to begin in January 2025 and scheduled to be finished by August 2027. It includes a new press box, ongoing code upgrades, accessibility improvements, improved rest rooms, upgraded concessions, WiFi and cellular upgrades and additional seating options. The estimated cost of $700 million will be financed and paid for entirely by Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics, according to an athletic department press release. No tuition revenue or educational budget funds will be used to pay for the renovations. "After years of studies and careful analysis, I'm happy that these much-needed renovations to Beaver Stadium are about to get underway," Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi said in a statement. "I am committed to continuing to grow our intercollegiate athletics program and to keeping Penn State competitive on the national stage. "We have one of only a handful of self-sustaining intercollegiate athletics departments in the country, which means this project can move forward without using the university's overall budget, tuition dollars, student fees or the critical resources available in support of our educational and research missions." Beaver Stadium was built in 1960 on the east side of Penn State's main campus with a capacity of 46,284. It has undergone seven expansions, the last in 2001, and now has a capacity of 107, 282, the second-largest stadium in the country behind Michigan Stadium. Director of athletics Patrick Kraft said seating capacity will remain above 100,000 after the renovation. Before 1960, there were two locations for "old" and "new" Beaver Field. The original 500-seat venue was built in 1893 behind Osmond Laboratory. A "new" Beaver Field was constructed on the site where Kern Building and Nittany Parking Deck are today. Originally made with wood, it was rebuilt with steel in 1936. After the 1959 football season, Beaver Field was dismantled into 700 pieces and moved a mile-and-a-half to its current site. It was reassembled beneath a horseshoe-shaped superstructure and christened Beaver Stadium, named after James Beaver, the former governor of Pennsylvania and the former president of Penn State's Board of Trustees. "I'm thrilled to support the university and intercollegiate athletics in this renovation project," Board of Trustees chairman Matt Schuyler said, "which will benefit all of our student-athletes and ultimately grow the role Beaver Stadium plays in supporting the local and state economies. "Beaver Stadium is a national icon, and parts of the facility are more than 85 years old. This is the right time and right approach for needed improvements and modernization." The initial $70 million cost will be funded through a bond sale planned for June, according to the announcement. The bonds will be repaid entirely by the athletic department. The entire project will be paid for through fund-raising, concessions, naming opportunities, sponsorships and ticket sales. "There are several funding avenues for this transformational project," Kraft said in a statement. "In addition to stadium-generated revenue, we will embark on a major philanthropic campaign with a goal of raising more than $200 million." ________________________ https://lancasteronline.com/how-do-you-feel-about-the-planned-700-million-renovation-of-penn-states-beaver-stadium/poll_49ea9544-eb7b-11ed-9991-8f2c050e68da.html How do you feel about the planned $700 million renovation of Penn State's Beaver Stadium May 5, 2023 ________________________________________________________________________ https://victorybellrings.com/2023/05/05/penn-state-football-beaver-stadium-expansion-plans/ Penn State Football: Venerable Beaver Stadium expansion plans released 2 weeks ago The first stage of the much-talked-about plan to renovate the beloved Beaver Stadium has finally been revealed by a Penn State Board of Trustee committee, which will submit it to be voted on by the full board today, May 5th. The main objective of the initial project is to completely renovate the west side of the stadium, which includes improving amenities, enhancing broadcasting accessibility, optimizing circulation, constructing new restrooms, upgrading concessions, implementing winterization measures, and providing premium seating. The overall cost of the stadium renovation project is estimated to be $700 million and it will be solely financed and funded by Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics without utilizing tuition fees or educational budget funds for the renovation. Based on the documents, the design process for the project is set to commence in June 2023, followed by pre-construction activities starting in June 2024. The initial phase of actual construction will prioritize safety and security measures, including crowd control and addressing field lighting performance. The winterization work will also be completed, which involves insulating pipes and making other upgrades to enable the stadium to be utilized during sub-zero temperatures, allowing Penn State to host a College Football Playoff game from 2024 onwards and other events during the winter season. Before August 2027, the comprehensive project plan involves a complete overhaul of the west side of the stadium, retaining the traditional bowl-style seating while also incorporating anticipated club and loge seats and executive and founder's suites. Additionally, the anticipated upgrades throughout the facility include ongoing code improvements, accessibility enhancements, and fan amenity upgrades. These upgrades are expected to include improved circulation throughout the stadium, upgraded restrooms, concession facilities, Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity, and additional seating options. The proposed renovation plan, targeted for completion in August 2027, is set to cover the 2025 and 2026 football seasons. Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft stated that the construction work would affect one football season, leading to a reduction in seating capacity. However, he reassured that the impact would be minimal, and the athletic department has already started addressing the issue. Kraft acknowledged that "it's impossible to undertake the renovation work without losing seats, but he clarified that the number would not be significant, unlike ten to twenty thousand seats." Beaver Stadium, which has a seating capacity of 106,572, is the second-largest venue in the United States. When questioned if the stadium's capacity would dip below 100,000, Kraft asserted to the board committee that they would never drop below the 100,000 mark. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Plans call to renovate the existing stadium includes complete reconstruction of the west side of the stadium, which will maintain traditional bowl-style seating while adding anticipated club and loge seats and executive and founders’ suites. Additional anticipated renovations throughout the facility include code upgrades, accessibility improvements and upgraded fan amenities. The Penn State’s Board of Trustees Committee on Finance, Business and Capital Planning approved spending $70 million for this project. The first stage of the renovation is expected to be completed over the next 12 months. It includes architect and engineer procurement, design and necessary structural maintenance. The construction is expected to begin in January 2025 with completion date of August 2027. However, further details regarding design completion, construction documents completion, firm construction and completion timelines have not been identified. *Project information, including timeline and contacts, has been obtained through public sources. The content management team continues to pursue additional details; however, the contact(s) listed have yet to disclose or confirm any information. Inquiries should be directed to the contact(s) listed. *The contact(s) will not accept phone call inquiries at this time.

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