2008 Woodie Awards
Plans for Tyser still on schedule
Aaron Kraut
Issue date: 9/6/07 Section: Sports
The $50.8 million Byrd Stadium expansion project unveiled by the Athletics Department last April is rapidly approaching the start of construction, with the design phase nearly complete and construction set to begin in mid-November.
The new construction, part of the phase one plans that are on track to be finished by the start of the 2009 season, include extending Tyser Tower to hold 64 indoor and outdoor luxury suites, a new scoreboard and videoboard on the west end of the stadium, new work areas for the media, and a team store.
Making sure the project fits within the $50.8 million budget has been a chief concern.
Approximately $15 million of the total budget came from selling the naming rights of Byrd Stadium to Chevy Chase Bank. The roughly $35 million left will come from a loan from the University System of Maryland that the university will pay back over 20 years, according to Senior Associate Athletics Director Larry Leckonby.
Other changes that will be part of phase two of the expansion plans - including new synthetic turf and the lowering of the playing field discussed at the athletics department press conference in April - are not approved as of now and are part of a future "facilities master plan," according to Leckonby.
Carlo Collela, Colella director of the architecture, engineering and construction, said work on Tyser could begin as early as the week after the Terrapins' final home game of the season Nov. 10.
"We are wrapping up the construction bit documents. Some of them are already with the construction manager who is soliciting subcontractor prices for certain parts of the construction," said Colella.
Since the athletics department showed off designs of the expansion project at a press conference April 25, Colella, the architects at Heery International hired for the job and Leckonby have been making refinements to the plan.
Gordon Smith, head architect of the project from Heery International, said the only visible change to the design from the plans unveiled in April was lowering the roof and taking away big overhangs planned for the roof of the new Tyser Tower.
The new construction, part of the phase one plans that are on track to be finished by the start of the 2009 season, include extending Tyser Tower to hold 64 indoor and outdoor luxury suites, a new scoreboard and videoboard on the west end of the stadium, new work areas for the media, and a team store.
Making sure the project fits within the $50.8 million budget has been a chief concern.
Approximately $15 million of the total budget came from selling the naming rights of Byrd Stadium to Chevy Chase Bank. The roughly $35 million left will come from a loan from the University System of Maryland that the university will pay back over 20 years, according to Senior Associate Athletics Director Larry Leckonby.
Other changes that will be part of phase two of the expansion plans - including new synthetic turf and the lowering of the playing field discussed at the athletics department press conference in April - are not approved as of now and are part of a future "facilities master plan," according to Leckonby.
Carlo Collela, Colella director of the architecture, engineering and construction, said work on Tyser could begin as early as the week after the Terrapins' final home game of the season Nov. 10.
"We are wrapping up the construction bit documents. Some of them are already with the construction manager who is soliciting subcontractor prices for certain parts of the construction," said Colella.
Since the athletics department showed off designs of the expansion project at a press conference April 25, Colella, the architects at Heery International hired for the job and Leckonby have been making refinements to the plan.
Gordon Smith, head architect of the project from Heery International, said the only visible change to the design from the plans unveiled in April was lowering the roof and taking away big overhangs planned for the roof of the new Tyser Tower.
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