The Olympian Logo

Alcohol among ideas for financing Husky Staduim renovation | The Olympian

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • About Us
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Plus
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services
    • Archives

    • News
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Death Notices
    • Education
    • Local News
    • Military News
    • Obituaries
    • Politics & Government
    • State
    • Traffic
    • Watchdog
    • Weather
    • Opinion
    • Cartoons
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Opinion Columns
    • Submit a Letter
    • Sports
    • College
    • High School
    • Mariners
    • Preps Stats
    • Seahawks
    • Sounders
    • UW Huskies
    • Politics
    • Living
    • Announcements
    • Food
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Travel
    • Entertainment
    • Arts & Culture
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Events Calendar
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • Restaurants
    • Outdoors
    • Fishing

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

University of Washington

Alcohol among ideas for financing Husky Staduim renovation

JON SILVER; The Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce

    ORDER REPRINT →

August 19, 2010 12:00 AM

SEATTLE - One thing is certain about the Husky Stadium renovation: It won't come cheap.

To help cover the cost, all three proposals for the stadium renovation suggested a wide array of revenue-generating ideas such as selling naming rights to the stadium, and serving beer and wine in the new club seating areas.

The University of Washington picked a development team earlier this month, choosing from proposals by Wright Runstad & Co. of Seattle, AEG Development of Los Angeles and Keating Project Development of Philadelphia.

Wright Runstad’s winning proposal had an estimated cost of $250 million, nearly $30 million less than the next-closest proposal, which was AEG’s at $279 million. Keating’s came in at $400 million.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Olympian

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

The team led by AEG counted a total of 37 naming opportunities, including the ticket office, the visitor’s locker room and the docks on Union Bay. In all, the team said, the renovated stadium could bring in as much as $261 million in revenue after 30 years.

UW will need the help. Barring public funding, the university expects to pay for the project on its own, with a combination of bonds and private donations. Financing plans are still being worked out.

UW’s request for proposals had a list of needs for the teams to meet, such as replacing the football field and lowering the seating bowl, renovating or replacing the south upper stands, renovating the concourses and constructing a football operations support building.

Here are a few of the highlights in the proposals from all three teams this week:

WRIGHT RUNSTAD & CO.

All three teams proposed changes to the Montlake Boulevard entrances to Husky Stadium, but Wright Runstad’s was the most sweeping.

The team proposed incorporating the football operations building into the west end of the stadium, turning the west gate into a formal entry flanked by a team store and the lobby of the football operations building. Windows would look into the lobby, which would house a Husky hall of frame.

The stadium’s west end would have a “signature front-door presence,” the proposal said, including a southwest entry plaza to welcome fans exiting the Link light rail station, due to finish in 2016.

The three-story operations building would be built entirely within the footprint of the stadium, with levels for locker rooms and weight training, retail and concessions, and meeting rooms and staff offices.

An upper-floor recruiting area and players lounge would pull out the stops to impress visiting recruits. East- and west-facing terraces would overlook Montlake Boulevard and the football field.

The south stands, built in 1950, would be torn down and rebuilt. The field would be lowered 4 feet and shifted to the north, allowing another eight rows of seating in the lower bowl.

Seating capacity would remain about the same, decreasing from around 72,500 currently to 71,200. About 1,400 ADA-compliant seats would be added.

Seats along the sidelines — that is, outside the end zones — would increase to about 70 percent of the total. Sideline seats are now 68 percent of the total.

One big change would be in the number of premium seats, with the addition of 25 suites, 25 loge boxes and more than 2,500 club seats. Club seats would have backs, arms and cup holders. Their distance from the field would be similar to the club seats at Qwest Field. In all, there would be more than 4,000 premium seats, with the possibility to increase that number if the market demands it.

Parking that’s being displaced by the light rail project would be replaced with a 200-stall garage for premium ticket holders.

The west end of the bowl would have a flatter shape, fitting more compactly into the stadium. The player entrance tunnel would have glass that allows fans to see the players.

Freestanding fixed seating has been proposed for the east side of the stadium, including concessions and restrooms. The north side roof and upper seating would be preserved.

The schedule anticipates a 2011 start, with construction running for 22 months. Work would be completed in time for the fall of 2013 season, particularly if the 2011 Apple Cup is held at Qwest Field rather than Husky Stadium so work could start sooner.

Other Wright Runstad team members are 360 Architecture, Turner Construction Co. and Magnusson Klemencic Associates, the civil and structural engineer.

AEG DEVELOPMENT

AEG offered two plans: “renovate” and “innovate,” focused on revenue-generating options such as new seating and amenities.

The “innovate” plan would replace the south upper stands, concourses, seating deck, elevators and ramps, leaving only the roof and superstructure. Changes include a new club level with views of the field and 24 sideline suites. There would be more rows for club seating under the roof line as well as loge boxes and a 50-yard-line club for the lower bowl.

The total seat count would fall to 68,000.

Another option would include replacement of the north stands, integrating more suites, loge boxes and club seating. West end capacity could expand by 5,000 to 8,000 seats.

In all the scenarios, the proposal would lower the field 6.5 feet, add seating to the Don James Center (a premium area that currently does not have seating), and open the main concourse to views by splitting the lower bowl.

An east stadium addition would offer premium seating and a party deck that could include a beer garden. The area would have seven “kennel” boxes and 30 four-seat loge boxes.

The plan suggests considering selling one-time access to the football field while the players are present or to the post-game press conference. Another option is to arrange post-game visits with the head football coach.

The other team members were Icon Venue Group, Mortenson Construction, Populous and CSL International.

KEATING

Keating was the only team to suggest options like a 200-seat restaurant, hotel and conference center. The team also proposed adding retail pads for businesses to serve both game-day fans and year-round transit passengers.

Other suggestions included new structured parking and a Husky retail store at the stadium’s southwest corner.

The team’s “basic” plan included a new lower bowl, renovation of the south and north stands, and a new field that would be lowered 6.5 feet.

The west end zone would have field suites, and suites would be incorporated into the south stands.

Its more extensive “alternate” plan would replace the south upper stands and concourses, and include more premium seats and amenities.

Keating, like AEG, proposed to build the football operations building at the stadium’s southeast corner.

The Keating team also included Perini Building with Sellen Construction, HKS Sports & Entertainment with SRG Partnership, Shiels Obletz Johnsen, Hill Clark Martin and Peterson, and IMG College.

  Comments  

Videos

Mike Hopkins on UW’s win over Washington State

‘When I’m healthy I’m one of the best players in the world:’ Isaiah Thomas on possible return against Kings

View More Video

Trending Stories

‘Uncertainty’ about whether snow is coming back to the lowlands this week, or just rain

February 18, 2019 10:20 AM

Survived the snow? Olympia will offer free downtown parking to celebrate ‘Big Melt’

February 19, 2019 02:02 PM

Eyman lawyers say Office Depot chair removal was accident, but he faces theft charge

February 19, 2019 04:00 PM

I owe how much? Americans shocked by impact of new tax law

February 19, 2019 09:00 AM

Seafood giant to spend up to $23 million to fix pollution

February 19, 2019 12:13 PM
Local display advertising by PaperG

Read Next

How David Crisp, Matisse Thybulle went from foes to friends to lead the Huskies’ resurgence

University of Washington

How David Crisp, Matisse Thybulle went from foes to friends to lead the Huskies’ resurgence

By Lauren Kirschman

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 19, 2019 06:00 AM

Washington senior guards David Crisp and Matisse Thybulle are at the center of the Huskies’ resurgence. Their relationship off the court plays a big role in their success.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Olympian

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

‘He changes everything.’ Noah Dickerson vital to UW’s success, whether he scores or not

University of Washington

‘He changes everything.’ Noah Dickerson vital to UW’s success, whether he scores or not

February 18, 2019 06:00 AM
Huskies use second-half rally to top Washington State 72-70

Sports

Huskies use second-half rally to top Washington State 72-70

February 16, 2019 07:05 PM
Washington-Washington State: Preview and breakdown

University of Washington

Washington-Washington State: Preview and breakdown

February 16, 2019 07:00 AM
Against Washington State, Huskies looking to rebound from first Pac-12 loss

Sports

Against Washington State, Huskies looking to rebound from first Pac-12 loss

February 15, 2019 01:30 PM
Huskies will face a hot-shooting Robert Franks in second game against Washington State

Sports

Huskies will face a hot-shooting Robert Franks in second game against Washington State

February 14, 2019 03:31 PM
Looking at bracketology: Did UW’s first Pac-12 loss change its NCAA Tournament projections?

Sports

Looking at bracketology: Did UW’s first Pac-12 loss change its NCAA Tournament projections?

February 13, 2019 07:00 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

The Olympian App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Contests-Promotions
  • Vacation Hold
  • Rewards
  • Pay Your Bill
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
  • Special Sections
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story