07-24-2002, 04:15 PM
Plan takes Reser to another level
07/24/02
RACHEL BACHMAN
Many sports teams trot out trinkets and hold appreciation days to show fans they are priority No. 1. But Oregon State planners are preparing to make that pledge in brick and mortar.
The renovation and expansion of Reser Stadium will give spectators more breathing room, a clearer, closer view of the action and more dry places to sit. Its central element, the addition of a second level rather than an extension of the existing bowl, could make it one of the loudest stadiums in the Pacific-10 Conference.
From Our Advertiser
But the most intriguing aspect of stadium expansion, whose initial phase could be finished by 2004 or 2005, is that the second-deck idea did not come from an architect or engineer. It came from Dennis Erickson, the coach who has recharged the Oregon State football team and now is helping transform its home.
"That was his vision," architect Sherri Hultgren said. "We just helped make it work."
Hultgren is one of two Reser project leaders from HNTB, a Kansas City, Mo., design firm in charge of the stadium's biggest overhaul since its construction in 1953. The initial phase of the project -- including expansion by about 10,000 seats and addition of amenities -- will cost about $115 million.
"The biggest thing is the aesthetics of the place -- closing it in, you know, making it tighter," Erickson said. "Make it look like a great football stadium. The bottom line with this stadium, to me, is just to aesthetically make it look really nice. That's probably the biggest input that I had."
Erickson, who in 20 years of coaching has seen dozens of stadiums, said he liked the look of an overhanging second deck. But Hultgren said adding a deck also is the best way to meet focus groups' most-requested amenity: a roof over their heads.
"If you do a single bowl, then your fans just get further back," said Hultgren, who also has worked on stadium projects at Ohio State, Purdue and Michigan State. "If you double-deck it, not only will it cover seats underneath that second deck, but it will also bring the fans closer."
How much closer? Currently, the most distant seats in Reser Stadium are 235 feet from the field. Preliminary expansion designs show that the first row of a second deck, built to partially overhang the lower level, will sit 135 feet from the field.
Students will be closest. The plan is to put students in the first 15 rows of the east sideline -- another Erickson request -- instead of stashing them in a corner, as some schools do.
"They need to be right behind our bench," Erickson said. "That's what makes our place special."
Oregon State will lose a potential revenue source when the 6,000 prime seats go to students, who pay a $24-per-person fee for the season. But Erickson seeks a bigger currency: student noise that, coupled with cheers from the second deck, could make the expanded capacity of 45,000 sound like a crowd twice that size.
"If you're on the field, you will get the feel that that upper deck is right on top of you, looking down on you," said Bob DeCarolis, Oregon State's interim athletic director. "And, hopefully, yelling down on you in a sea of orange."
Of course, completing that vision will be expensive, time-consuming and, probably, an exercise in compromise. And it is an unprecedented undertaking: The athletic department is only a few years removed from heavy debt and decades of losing.
Oregon State must raise about $25 million before workers can put a shovel into the ground, DeCarolis said. That accounts for the athletic department retiring its debt, which stands at about $4.5 million, shelling out $5 million to $7 million for official plans and raising enough money for a down payment on construction.
The down payment will come from donations, including naming-rights opportunities, and the purchase of suites or seats in a new 3,600-seat club level on the east, DeCarolis said. The balance of the funding will come from state-backed bonds, which would be repaid with required donations that accompany prime-location seating.
Major elements of the first phase will be a total transformation of the east grandstand (across from the press box), including the addition of an upper deck, chair-back seating for all but the student section, club seating and suites. There also will be new upper and main concourses and more restrooms, including a greater proportion of women's restrooms.
Architects have increased the space between rows from the current 24 inches to 33 inches, giving spectators more legroom. The new east grandstand also will have a slightly steeper grade, making it easier for spectators to see over the people in front of them, and a dividing wall to ensure that students can stand while the spectators behind them maintain a clear view -- even while sitting.
"It's a project that needs to be done if we're going to compete at this level in the Pac-10," DeCarolis said. "We need to expand our revenue base, and football is a logical conclusion because of the numbers."
This season will be critical to the stadium project, which suddenly has become a prominent topic of fans' conversations. The OSU Web site even included Reser's expansion among the multiple-choice answers to its poll question: What is the most pressing issue for the new athletic director? (Mitch Barnhart left this month to take over at Kentucky, and DeCarolis is the acting interim while a search continues for Barnhart's replacement.)
A second consecutive losing season would toss a wet blanket on OSU's stadium drive; a big bowl game could boost the project ahead of schedule.
The following few years also will be critical to fund-raising efforts. Upcoming phases could include expansion of Reser to 55,000 seats, renovation of the west grandstand and, finally, expansion of the Valley Football Center. But those phases could take many years and millions more dollars to complete.
"You need to be successful," DeCarolis said. "This is a big mortgage."
That brings the discussion back to the fans, the beneficiaries of but also the primary source of funding for any expansion. Fund raising for the stadium could start as soon as this fall, and school officials will be leaning heavily on alumni and boosters to kick-start the project.
"It doesn't get any cheaper, the longer you wait," DeCarolis said. "So you need to move. And, quite frankly, we feel that our football team is going to be exciting and successful for the next couple years. I know Erickson is excited about it. Obviously, winning helps." You can reach Rachel Bachman at 503-221-4373 or by e-mail at rachelbachman@news.oregonian.com
07/24/02
RACHEL BACHMAN
Many sports teams trot out trinkets and hold appreciation days to show fans they are priority No. 1. But Oregon State planners are preparing to make that pledge in brick and mortar.
The renovation and expansion of Reser Stadium will give spectators more breathing room, a clearer, closer view of the action and more dry places to sit. Its central element, the addition of a second level rather than an extension of the existing bowl, could make it one of the loudest stadiums in the Pacific-10 Conference.
From Our Advertiser
But the most intriguing aspect of stadium expansion, whose initial phase could be finished by 2004 or 2005, is that the second-deck idea did not come from an architect or engineer. It came from Dennis Erickson, the coach who has recharged the Oregon State football team and now is helping transform its home.
"That was his vision," architect Sherri Hultgren said. "We just helped make it work."
Hultgren is one of two Reser project leaders from HNTB, a Kansas City, Mo., design firm in charge of the stadium's biggest overhaul since its construction in 1953. The initial phase of the project -- including expansion by about 10,000 seats and addition of amenities -- will cost about $115 million.
"The biggest thing is the aesthetics of the place -- closing it in, you know, making it tighter," Erickson said. "Make it look like a great football stadium. The bottom line with this stadium, to me, is just to aesthetically make it look really nice. That's probably the biggest input that I had."
Erickson, who in 20 years of coaching has seen dozens of stadiums, said he liked the look of an overhanging second deck. But Hultgren said adding a deck also is the best way to meet focus groups' most-requested amenity: a roof over their heads.
"If you do a single bowl, then your fans just get further back," said Hultgren, who also has worked on stadium projects at Ohio State, Purdue and Michigan State. "If you double-deck it, not only will it cover seats underneath that second deck, but it will also bring the fans closer."
How much closer? Currently, the most distant seats in Reser Stadium are 235 feet from the field. Preliminary expansion designs show that the first row of a second deck, built to partially overhang the lower level, will sit 135 feet from the field.
Students will be closest. The plan is to put students in the first 15 rows of the east sideline -- another Erickson request -- instead of stashing them in a corner, as some schools do.
"They need to be right behind our bench," Erickson said. "That's what makes our place special."
Oregon State will lose a potential revenue source when the 6,000 prime seats go to students, who pay a $24-per-person fee for the season. But Erickson seeks a bigger currency: student noise that, coupled with cheers from the second deck, could make the expanded capacity of 45,000 sound like a crowd twice that size.
"If you're on the field, you will get the feel that that upper deck is right on top of you, looking down on you," said Bob DeCarolis, Oregon State's interim athletic director. "And, hopefully, yelling down on you in a sea of orange."
Of course, completing that vision will be expensive, time-consuming and, probably, an exercise in compromise. And it is an unprecedented undertaking: The athletic department is only a few years removed from heavy debt and decades of losing.
Oregon State must raise about $25 million before workers can put a shovel into the ground, DeCarolis said. That accounts for the athletic department retiring its debt, which stands at about $4.5 million, shelling out $5 million to $7 million for official plans and raising enough money for a down payment on construction.
The down payment will come from donations, including naming-rights opportunities, and the purchase of suites or seats in a new 3,600-seat club level on the east, DeCarolis said. The balance of the funding will come from state-backed bonds, which would be repaid with required donations that accompany prime-location seating.
Major elements of the first phase will be a total transformation of the east grandstand (across from the press box), including the addition of an upper deck, chair-back seating for all but the student section, club seating and suites. There also will be new upper and main concourses and more restrooms, including a greater proportion of women's restrooms.
Architects have increased the space between rows from the current 24 inches to 33 inches, giving spectators more legroom. The new east grandstand also will have a slightly steeper grade, making it easier for spectators to see over the people in front of them, and a dividing wall to ensure that students can stand while the spectators behind them maintain a clear view -- even while sitting.
"It's a project that needs to be done if we're going to compete at this level in the Pac-10," DeCarolis said. "We need to expand our revenue base, and football is a logical conclusion because of the numbers."
This season will be critical to the stadium project, which suddenly has become a prominent topic of fans' conversations. The OSU Web site even included Reser's expansion among the multiple-choice answers to its poll question: What is the most pressing issue for the new athletic director? (Mitch Barnhart left this month to take over at Kentucky, and DeCarolis is the acting interim while a search continues for Barnhart's replacement.)
A second consecutive losing season would toss a wet blanket on OSU's stadium drive; a big bowl game could boost the project ahead of schedule.
The following few years also will be critical to fund-raising efforts. Upcoming phases could include expansion of Reser to 55,000 seats, renovation of the west grandstand and, finally, expansion of the Valley Football Center. But those phases could take many years and millions more dollars to complete.
"You need to be successful," DeCarolis said. "This is a big mortgage."
That brings the discussion back to the fans, the beneficiaries of but also the primary source of funding for any expansion. Fund raising for the stadium could start as soon as this fall, and school officials will be leaning heavily on alumni and boosters to kick-start the project.
"It doesn't get any cheaper, the longer you wait," DeCarolis said. "So you need to move. And, quite frankly, we feel that our football team is going to be exciting and successful for the next couple years. I know Erickson is excited about it. Obviously, winning helps." You can reach Rachel Bachman at 503-221-4373 or by e-mail at rachelbachman@news.oregonian.com