Fresno State is reportedly putting off plans to renovate Bulldog Stadium, a facility that has previously been targeted for a major overhaul.
Previously, the university unveiled plans to overhaul Bulldog Stadium in a major renovation. The estimated $60 million project was expected to unfold over multiple phases and was at one point targeted for a 2019 completion. Once finished, the project would result in improvements to several fan amenities within the stadium, a Bulldog District surrounding the facility, as well as a new tower on the west side that would feature suites, a stadium club, and a press box.
Questions about the status of the proposal eventually arose because of some issues, as Bulldog Stadium was learned to have unexplained cracks in the concrete on its east side. Fresno State officials are still sorting through that issue, and it appears that a major renovation is being shelved for now. More from The Fresno Bee:
Instead, Fresno State will focus on finding ways to improve the Robert E. Duncan Athletic Building and the student-athlete village, according to a source familiar with the project. The Duncan building just outside Bulldog Stadium is the athletics department’s home, but Fresno State also runs programs out of the North Gym and the Save Mart Center.
“We are currently evaluating what we’re doing with the stadium moving forward,” acknowledged Steve Robertello, interim athletics director. He inherited the top spot in the program when Jim Bartko resigned in November, citing personal reasons.
The plans Robertello speaks about are in an early stage and there is no timetable for enhancements to a stadium that was opened in 1980, is showing its age with seats that have faded to an odd hue and cracking in the walkways and seating areas, and has few fan amenities. But the Bulldogs’ fan base, which has been declining the past several years, will have to continue to wait for an upgrade.
Bulldog Stadium originally opened in 1980.
Rendering courtesy Fresno State athletics.
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