Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1520787
1 2 J U N E / J U L Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State is getting set to take the next step toward reno- vating Beaver Stadium. The university's board of trustees and its Finance, Business and Capital Planning Subcommittee will hold a conference call May 21 to discuss the project. According to an online agenda, the purpose of the meeting will be "Proposed Project Ap- proval, Beaver Stadium Renovation." The university hired the Kansas City-based architecture firm Populous earlier this year to lead the design aspect of the project. Now, it's ready to lock in the rest of the plan. "The primary scope of the Beaver Stadium renovation is on the stadium's West Side," the Penn State project description says. "This approach would replace the current West Side of the stadium and provide improved access for broadcast- ing, greatly improved circulation, new restrooms, upgraded concession offerings, and much-needed premium seating. Included with the West Side replacement are much-needed miscellaneous improvements of the North, East, and South [areas of the stadium]. ... These combined projects will greatly enhance the fan experience and safety and provide significant incremental revenue to fund these improvements." BWI first reported in April 2023 that Penn State was plan- ning to renovate the 106,572-seat stadium rather than build a new structure. The university confirmed that plan last May. Work is slated to begin after the 2024 season and should be completed before the 2027 season gets underway. The ex- pected price tag is approximately $700 million. "To get it done in the four-year window, the goal would be to do all the enabling projects right after [the 2023] season: the winterization and getting the design going," Penn State athletics director Patrick Kraft said last summer. "Then, the next season, you will be done with design. You've still got to go to the board and do all those steps, but then you're going right after, hopefully, the playoff game in [December 2024]. Then you're off to the races." Kraft offered his most recent update in January. Penn State is looking to begin work on the stadium overhaul after the upcoming football season. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL Trustees To Discuss Beaver Stadium Renovation Project G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M