Funding boost for Beaver Stadium revamp

Article posted by Coliseum, May 23^rd, 2024

Image: Penn State University

Penn State University’s athletic department has been given the green light to push ahead with its plan to renovate Beaver Stadium.

Blue-White illustrated said the university’s Board of Trustees overwhelmingly approved the project request to release $630 million more for the project after $70 million was approved in 2023 to begin the design and planning phases.

Architect Populous and Construction Manager – a joint venture of Barton Malow, AECOM Hunt and Alexander – were last year picked to oversee the multiyear, multiphase Beaver Stadium renovation project.

The planned work will cost no more than $700 million when it is complete. That is expected to be before the 2027 football season begins. Construction will start once the 2024 season ends.

The 106,572-capacity Beaver Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium on the campus of Pennsylvania State University in Penn State University Park. It has been home to the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten Conference since 1960, though some parts of the stadium date back to 1909.

Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public research university in the United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania. In 1863, it became the State’s only land-grant university.

Last spring, Blue-White Illustrated reported that the plan was to renovate the 64-year-old, 107,000-seat Beaver Stadium rather than building a new place for the home of the school’s most recognizable sport. This project will focus on the west, or press box, side of the stadium.

School president Neeli Bendapudi said, “It is vital to substantially transform the fan experience and the community experience. It will drive economic development throughout the region. So many lines are dependent on the success of Penn State. And this will set us up for a successful future, specifically athletics.”

Penn State Athletic Director Dr. Patrick Kraft added, “It is time for Penn State to catch up to its peers. It should be a model for the college and NFL world with innovation, experiences that are different and exciting, and technology. To put it simply, renovations to Beaver Stadium are long overdue. It’s time to act. And, it’s time to act now.”

The previous timeline of construction starting in January 2025 and finishing by August 2027 is still the goal. The renovation will provide the following increases in the stadium:

24 new elevators, 12 new escalators, and four-plus stair towers
102 new point-of-sale stations, a 70 percent increase
New suites, addition of loge seating boxes
Addition of a broadcast level and added press box capacity

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