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Here are specifics of UK Stadium Upgrades

  • University of Kentucky
    Consultant Submittal Guidelines
    Commonwealth Stadium Expansion/Renovation
    Project No. 2362.0
    Page 6
    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
    I. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
    The goal for the project is the improvement the Commonwealth Stadium’s functionality and aesthetic appearance, as well as the quality of fan amenities, team facilities, press / stadium operation areas, premium seating areas, accessible seating areas, and general seating areas. Further, the project will accommodate the expansion and renovation of the Nutter Training Center
    The preliminary program has been defined to include -
    Commonwealth Stadium
    • New home team facilities to include a new football locker room, coaches’ lockers, equipment
    room, taping room, and media/interview room. Vacated spaces will be re‐purposed for other uses.
    • New east sideline field access for the football team.
    • New Recruiting / Multi‐purpose Room with views to the playing field along east end zone.
    • Relocate student seating section to east end zone and provide a unique “student seating”
    environment.
    • Replacement of existing south sideline bench seating to accommodate approximately 2,200 new
    club seats with a dedicated club lounge areas.
    • Provide 16 new suites (14 seats each), a President’s Suite (100 seats), and an Athletic Director’s
    Suite (30 seats).
    • Provide a new full service Kitchen to serve the stadium.
    • Relocate and reconfigure the existing Press Box.
    • Provide a new Team Store with high visibility and access from the outside/inside of the stadium.
    • Increase accessible seating areas along the upper concourse.
    • Replace existing Concession / Restrooms areas at the north and south of the stadium.
    • Renovate and expand the existing Wildcat Den.
    • Increase the size of the Staff Locker Room along the south sideline.
    • Renovate and increase the size of the Visitor Locker Room and Visiting Coaches Locker facilities.
    • Relocate the Officials Locker Room along the south sideline.
    • Upgrades to the stadium signage and graphics.
    • Provide new exterior precast façade to enhance the aesthetics of the stadium and hide exposed
    structural steel columns and corner ramps.
    • Upgrade original stadium light poles.
    • Provide video security cameras on the concourses and perimeter of the stadium.
    Nutter Training Center
    • Expand and renovate the existing weight room, including the creation of a new mezzanine area to
    accommodate cardio equipment.
    • Expand and renovate the existing athletic training/sports medicine area.
    • New student‐athlete dining area with full‐service kitchen.

    MinterWonderlnd

  • RECRUITING ROOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!

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    Josh Edwards

  • The projects sounds much more expensive than $115 million,, don't you think?

    MinterWonderlnd

  • You can get to the whole proposal/etc. by going to this link...

    http://www.uky.edu/EVPFA/Facilities/CPMD/pdf/2362.0%20Consultant%20Submittal%20Guidelines%20Commonwealth%20Stadium.pdf

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    Matt May

  • MinterWonderlnd said...

    The projects sounds much more expensive than $115 million,, don't you think?

    Not really... Considering that the most expensive part will be the new press box one can assume that most of the rest will be pretty simple.

    hoptownukfan

  • Looks like design phase set to begin April 15. Construction set to begin around Dec. 1.

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    Matt May

  • Am I reading that correctly, does it say new locker rooms? New locker rooms at CWS ?

    MinterWonderlnd

  • MinterWonderlnd said...

    Am I reading that correctly, does it say new locker rooms? New locker rooms at CWS ?

    Sounds like they are going to make new locker room facilities near/in the building that will attach to Nutter Fieldhouse. They have a listing there for new field entry for team from east sideline.

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    Matt May

  • If I recall correctly, wasn't $115M from the state and the total state project was going to be about $180M?

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    Josh Edwards

  • This sounds great! It is just amazing the change in the whole perceived attitude around football in 3 short months.

    msdcatfan

  • Just goes to further prove the new "dedication" towards making our football program competitve with the rest of the SEC on every level. Your facilities should WOW recruits. Ours really hasnt in the past..we were behind the rest of the SEC..now we will be towards the top. I wish they would expand total seating..to around 90,000. I think once Stoops gets UK winning..CWS will be sold out more often than not...

    BigBlueDawg12

  • BigBlueDawg12 said...

    Just goes to further prove the new "dedication" towards making our football program competitve with the rest of the SEC on every level. Your facilities should WOW recruits. Ours really hasnt in the past..we were behind the rest of the SEC..now we will be towards the top. I wish they would expand total seating..to around 90,000. I think once Stoops gets UK winning..CWS will be sold out more often than not...

    From my series with Barnhart last month:

    You've mentioned seating capacity will be virtually the same or perhaps a little bit less than it is now. There are the big dreamers out there who say why not build an 80-85,000 seat stadium if you're going to do this? Why is it important for Kentucky football to remain near Commonwealth Stadium's existing capacity at this time?

    “I think there are two issues. One, there are people out there who have really big stadiums and that's really great. Even in their world, programs that have tradition-rich programs in football, they're struggling to sell all of their tickets, and sometimes in big games. That big television that sits down at the end of the hall with the refrigerator at the other end of the hall is very difficult to compete with. You have to make sure of a variety of things: the product you put on the field has got to be competitive and something people want to watch. Two, you've got to make the amenities and the experience a decent one. You have to make it something that when they come they want to come and feel good about it. That's really important.

    “We want to make the seats we've got really quality seats and make the experience a good experience. The population of our state is a small one and so we want to make sure that we don't overbuild. I don't want to have a stadium where we've done all we can do and we're really competing hard and yet we're still at 80-85 percent capacity. I'd rather have us do what we can do competitively and really work hard at it and things are going great and people are saying, 'How do we get in there?' If we get to that spot where there are 20,000 people on the waiting list then by golly we'll figure out how to add on to that sucker.”

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    Matt May


  • • Provide new exterior precast façade to enhance the aesthetics of the stadium and hide exposed structural steel columns and corner ramps.
    • Upgrade original stadium light poles.

    ^ I will personally take credit for this scope of work!!! Somebody in the admin is reading these message boards... A good idea can always come from the peanut gallery.

    Kooky Kats 247

  • Matt May said...

    From my series with Barnhart last month:

    You've mentioned seating capacity will be virtually the same or perhaps a little bit less than it is now. There are the big dreamers out there who say why not build an 80-85,000 seat stadium if you're going to do this? Why is it important for Kentucky football to remain near Commonwealth Stadium's existing capacity at this time?

    “I think there are two issues. One, there are people out there who have really big stadiums and that's really great. Even in their world, programs that have tradition-rich programs in football, they're struggling to sell all of their tickets, and sometimes in big games. That big television that sits down at the end of the hall with the refrigerator at the other end of the hall is very difficult to compete with. You have to make sure of a variety of things: the product you put on the field has got to be competitive and something people want to watch. Two, you've got to make the amenities and the experience a decent one. You have to make it something that when they come they want to come and feel good about it. That's really important.

    “We want to make the seats we've got really quality seats and make the experience a good experience. The population of our state is a small one and so we want to make sure that we don't overbuild. I don't want to have a stadium where we've done all we can do and we're really competing hard and yet we're still at 80-85 percent capacity. I'd rather have us do what we can do competitively and really work hard at it and things are going great and people are saying, 'How do we get in there?' If we get to that spot where there are 20,000 people on the waiting list then by golly we'll figure out how to add on to that sucker.”

    So true...UF was having trouble filling it's stadium last season....if they can't do it, then anyone will have problems.

    jamccain

  • Sounds like a major portion of the improvements will involve the East End Zone. Appears that they will need to gut the east end zone to make the sorts of changes they are talking about with the new recruiting room, new locker room, new field entrance, etc. As a season ticket holder on the south sideline, I'm curious as to how many rows they may take for the club seating. Also like to see they are planning on aesthetic improvements to the exterior, just hoping they do something classy looking and not cheap like the current suites. Will new press box be above the south side? Students in the end zone makes sense, and opens up more sideline seats UK can collect a donation on.

    The changes are indeed major, should be a huge upgrade. Cannot wait to hear more details and see artist renderings as the design proceeds.

    Jeremy Grey ●

  • MinterWonderlnd said...

    The projects sounds much more expensive than $115 million,, don't you think?

    If they do everything listed on the dance card, I think this is a $200M project.

    Cladding the exterior of the stadium and ramps with precast can be 20M alone. Lots of structural mods needed for that, plus who knows how elaborate the design evolves to be? Could be more money, if they match the west endzone aesthetic.

    East endzone alteration sounds heavy duty as well... Lotsa bucks.

    Kooky Kats 247

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