Blue White Illustrated

design firm Populous in the fall of 2015 to develop its master plan: an exten- sively remodeled Beaver Stadium. There were renderings of that, too, swathed in a new brick facade. Described by athletic director Sandy Barbour as an "aspirational" road map meant to address the university's cur- rent and anticipated needs, the plan is subject to change. At the very least, it will require phased implementation. And with nothing but a $120 million figure given for the initial round of fundraising, costs are inevitably going to be a factor. "We'll ultimately build what we can afford," Barbour said. "We will rely heavily on philanthropy, but we'll also have some mix of [Intercollegiate Ath- letics] capital, debt financing, student fees where appropriate, where the fa- cilities lend themselves to broad stu- dent use, and potential public/private partnership." What has not yet been determined, but is certain to come, is a vigorous ramping up of the athletic depart- ment's fundraising efforts to estab- lish any possibility of bringing the details of last month's rollout to fruition. Beyond the first five projects, there is support for moving the All-Sports Museum from Beaver Stadium to the corner of University Drive and Curtin Road. A standalone basketball-only practice facility could be built next to the Bryce Jordan Center, granting Penn State's hoops programs the priority status they have long sought. The Olympic sports teams that are cur- rently based in the White Building could find a new home on the south- west corner of the BJC. A two-story parking garage could be built just south of Jeffrey Field. Substantial changes to Penn State's Blue and White golf courses could also be part of the equation. Given the 20-year timeline, the pos- sibilities are seemingly endless. But at the heart of it all, the biggest ques- tions involve Beaver Stadium. The renderings that were released last month address the east, west and north stands, replacing bleachers with chair-back seats and wrapping the stadium's exterior in brick and stone. But the stadium is not included in the first five-year phase of the master plan, so the timeline and budget re- main in flux. Other questions concern the logis- tics of such a massive renovation. The stadium has been built piecemeal over the years, and although the vari- ous additions have more than dou- bled its capacity, it has been in operation continuously since it opened in 1960. That's partly been by necessity; the Nittany Lions don't have an alternative site for their home games. So how could they undertake the biggest project in the stadium's history without shutting it down for a season or two? One possibility would be for construction to take place over a four- year period, with the work separated into four phases that would each last from December through August. No matter how the project is partitioned, one priority will be to avoid in-season disruptions. "Obviously Beaver Stadium and our football program are the heartbeat, the heart and soul of not only our athletic program but to some degree the entire campus and the entire community; that's one of the reasons we're not putting Beaver Stadium renovations in these first five years," Barbour said. "It's a massive project, and we need this time to look at this to do actual design, to look at the phases. … We don't have another place we can go and play. We can't be out of it for a full season at a time. So, design, sequenc- ing and exactly what the funding model is going to be" are important questions that will need to be an- swered. For now, the master plan is a starting point from which to view the depart- ment's progress. Much will need to be determined – including where the money is coming from – before it be- comes more than that. ■ B eaver Stadium may not be the 2rst item on Penn State's to-do list, but of all the projects in the university's sprawl- ing master plan, it's the one that has elicited the most curiosity among fans. That curiosity wasn't entirely sated during the plan's unveiling last month, as many of the essential elements of the proposed renovation have yet to be worked out, including the budget and construction timeline. But the render- ings that Penn State showed o3 in March at least o3ered a look at the university's vision for the historic facility as it ap- proaches its sixth decade. In the renderings, the stadium appears bigger and bulkier but also more re2ned. The distinctive lattice of girders that has been holding up the grandstands since before the start of the Joe Paterno era is no longer visible. Rather than leaving those support structures exposed, the designers envision a brick and limestone façade that wraps around the east, west and north stands. There's also a colon- nade on the press box side that appears to serve as the main entrance. Other proposed changes are aimed at improving the fan experience. There will be wider concourses, new concessions stands and restrooms and additional op- tions for premium and luxury seating. There are also plans for a new parking structure west of the stadium near Jef- frey Field. "When you look at Beaver Stadium, we're talking about some really signi2- cant infrastructure needs that stand out," Key questions unanswered, but PSU's plans for stadium captivate

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