Arizona State University has released the plans for its $210 million renovation of 56-year-old Sun Devil Stadium.
The school announced that it's starting a campaign to raise $50 million in private donations to fully fund the renovation. Although there were reports indicating that ASU's football team was looking for somewhere else to play during the renovation process, ASU says they won't be moving during the rebuilding, which is scheduled to begin in 2015.
ASU's athletics department says taxpayer money won't be used on the $210 million project, due to a combination of the aforementioned private fundraising and "new revenue streams." That includes Pac-12 Conference revenue, athletics district revenue, stadium naming rights, and incremental revenue from stadium operations.
"To enhance the quality of the game-day experience, fans will enjoy: more legroom, seats and benches with backs, an increased number of restrooms with enhanced quality, a premiere [sic] video board and sound system, and an ADA-compliant stadium, among many other a long list of amenities," the athletics department says in a statement.
One of the earlier ideas for the renovation project included something of a canopy over the stadium, intended to keep temperatures somewhere below 10,000 degrees. As you can see from the renderings, there's no canopy.
According to the athletics department:
Sun Devil Athletics took feedback through surveys, focus groups, and fan feedback to create the latest rendering. Fans overwhelmingly support the renovation of Sun Devil Stadium, but they don't want it to lose its identity and traditions, including the ability to see fireworks after touchdowns. Based on fan feedback and the additional cost of adding a shade canopy ($132 million), the decision was made to exclude a shade canopy. The goal is to maintain the look and feel of Sun Devil Stadium while completely reshaping the amenities and infrastructure to enhance the overall experience.The university says it will seek approval on the project from the Arizona Board of Regents in September.
See the rest of the renderings on the next page:
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