Cost savings on the construction of the new Colorado State stadium has allowed the university to cover other projects, including fan and player amenities.
Colorado State University was able to save money on the construction of its new stadium and pay for additional features as a result. Within the stadium, the most noticeable change to come from the savings is the seating. Colorado State was able to install more chair-back seats than originally planned, including in the areas above and below the coach’s terrace on the northwest side of the facility, and in the upper deck of the venue’s east side.
Along with adding new seats, Colorado State was able to redirect some of its savings toward the construction of a new practice field. Located next to the new stadium, the practice facility provides the football program with a crucial amenity while allowing women’s soccer to take over the former football fields. Colorado State views this as an important feature in the project that ultimately helps both programs. More from The Coloradoan:
It’s the most significant of a number of upgrades the university was able to make during construction of its new stadium while staying within the project’s $220 million budget, athletic director Joe Parker said.
“Right from the start, (the football practice field) was what I had kind of earmarked as the biggest additional item that I wanted to see if we could fund through the project budget,” Parker said Tuesday. “That was important for a lot of reasons. One, just the convenience of football not having to transition to the practice fields here at Moby. … Equally important, we’ve never had a permanent home for soccer, so I viewed that as a two-for-1 effect.”
The women’s soccer program has been practicing and playing its games on an intramural field between the Student Recreation Center and Lory Student Center since its inception in 2013. The university has removed a row of light standards that stood between the natural grass fields best suited for soccer, reconfigured the irrigation system and added sand and additional seed to get the former football practice facility ready for use this fall, Parker said.
Cost savings was generated by using materials that were more inexpensive than those that were originally slated for the project, and some design changes. The new Colorado State stadium is scheduled to host its first game on August 26.
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