An artist rendering of what an expanded north end zone might look like.
Courtesy, UA Athletics
The University of Arkansas is getting serious about expanding the north end zone of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Officials this week issued requests for design and construction proposals as part of a market and cost analysis for the project.
Courtesy, UA Athletics
The expansion would add more seats and suites, and would also provide a new concourse to help clear up foot traffic congestion inside the facility for fans moving from one side of the stadium to the other.
When first mentioned last year, the expansion seemed like more of a pipe dream along with several other projects in the university’s athletics master facilities plan.
However, the UA has already built new football practice fields, a new HD scoreboard and a new soccer clubhouse. An estimated $35 million football operations center should be complete by next summer.
Plus, in September, the UA approved the construction of three more facilities: a Student-Athlete Success Center, a basketball practice center and a baseball and track indoor training facility.
According to UA officials, the purpose of the analysis is to specifically examine seating capacity, design, construction, economic variables and the overall demand for additional seating at Razorback Stadium. Once that process is complete, the university will seek approval from the Board of Trustees before moving forward with the study.
UA athletics director Jeff Long has said the 242,000-296,000-square-foot expansion could add as many as 5,000 seats and would likely cost $78-95 million.
“As we begin to consider an expansion in the north end zone of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, it is important we have sound information from which to make a decision,” said Long in a news release. “The analysis will help us have a clearer understanding of the many variables that must be thoroughly examined before making a decision to move forward. It is important that we continue to strive to accommodate the current and future seating demands of Razorback fans.”
Unveiled in October 2011, the Razorback Athletic Facilities Master Plan established a vision and a road map for $320 million of facility renovations and additions designed to help all 19 Razorback sports remain competitive in the Southeastern Conference and nationally over the next 30 years.
Artist went a little photoshop crazy in that top picture. That’s not what the background looks like north of the stadium. lol
Nothing screams “Fayetteville” like a hillside covered in pine trees.
It is pretty incredible the amount of $$$$$$$ that is being spent both by the athletic department and the university on new projects. This is a construction frenzy. Its just short of being a full-fledged construction mania.
In addition to the athletic department’s current building frenzy, on the university side, UA just wrapped up the Pi Phi Gate, and…
Under construction:
Hotz Hall renovation
Ozark Hall expansion
new Hillside Auditorium
Vol Walker expansion
Founders Hall dorm/mixed use
Breaking ground in a few months:
New huge classroom building on Dickson/Duncan
New Housing Dept Office building
What else?
Is the Dickson/Duncan project going right there on the corner, which is currently a parking lot?
No, its going where the little greenhouse now stands, and then west, parallel with the north side of Harmon.
http://planning.uark.edu/campus_planning/construction_projects/classroomsLabs.jpg
I see. That makes sense. They are gonna be movin’ some serious dirt on that hillside.
Thanks for the link!
They better hire a decent head coach and have a winning season before they hit up the donors for the cash to fund this.
IMO there should be more suites/boxes as those pull in the big money and there is a sizable waiting list for them.
An 800 space parking lot off Razorback Rd, a second plant Science Tower (badly needed), renovation of the Agriculture Building, and the future Greek Village are all in the works as well. This is going to be one very nice University when it is all said and done.
Any details on the locale of the Greek Village or Plant Science tower? I assume the Plant Science expansion will be next to the existing structure on Maple.
Plant Science Tower II will occupy the space where the current Agriculture Annex Building is, just next to the current Plant Science Building. The Greek Village will be placed on the current recreational fields if the recreation facility is to be moved off campus. Also, a 5000 seat all purpose venue, mostly for volleyball and gymnastics is on the Athletics Master Plan.
I don’t know who decided to put a Greek Village on the U of A campus, but he’s my gyro.
wowza! 95 million dollars?!! Gulp. Do you know if they have plans to renovate the theatre and music facilities?
Oh, yeah, I forgot. The old gymnasium is going to be tranformed into the Faulkner Performing Arts Center (with or without the A&P’s million bucks).
I wish that would include turning the Pit into a parking deck
You know, if you did turn that into a parking deck, you could theoretically have a terrace level along the top floors that would peer over the scoreboard and into the stadium and sell SRO “party passes” like at JerryWorld. Kind similar also to what’s done outside left field at Baum.