When the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was passed in 1990, did any stadium or arena need a huge hurdle of construction to be compliant?

Yea ODU's stadium took a minor renovation to get into ADA compliance.

Before:


After:

Old Dominion's Ballard Stadium. Poster above beat me to it.

What was the big issue for ODU?

(05-10-2022 05:42 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  What was the big issue for ODU?

That the stadium was built in 1936. Waaaaaaaaay before ADA and basically broke every rule.

Am I correct that any school that was already FBS was in compliance? Or st least had easier time renovating?

(05-10-2022 05:46 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Am I correct that any school that was already FBS was in compliance? Or st least had easier time renovating?

I'd guess that an entire stadium need not be ADA compliant, but that you could not have disability ghettos.

A stadium like Camp Randall probably had to add seats with hydraulic shocks so quadriplegics could jump up and down.

Jim; thanks for giving question due consideration/s

(05-10-2022 05:38 PM)GreatDane96 Wrote:  Old Dominion's Ballard Stadium. Poster above beat me to it.

Yes, it was a WPA project, but ODU also wanted more (and better) seating.

But just because a stadium is old doesn't mean it can't survive with ADA. Anyone who's been at this stadium knows that.

you'd be surprised on the lawsuits could happen if you went around businesses, public locations and measured height of door knobs, location of signs, etc. I've witnessed complaints and lawsuits over 1/8" off on a door knob location.

(05-10-2022 05:46 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Am I correct that any school that was already FBS was in compliance? Or st least had easier time renovating?

I don't think it would be a correct statement to say that any school already FBS was in ADA compliance. Along with fire and life safety issues, ADA compliance was one of the justifications used for Texas A&M's Kyle Field renovation. The Kyle Field project would probably qualify as having DRASTIC changes to the stadium. All the the changes were not ADA related, but ADA compliance was one of the justifying factors for the major renovation.

Quote:The Athletics Department proposes a multi-phase renovation primarily to address compliance issues related to fire and life safety and ADA compliance, as well as to improve fan experience (e.g. concessions, seating, restrooms, and pedestrian traffic flow).

emphasis added

See opening paragragh of the linked pdf document.
Link - Recommendations Kyle Field Renovations

I'm pretty sure that A&M is not an isolated example.

(05-11-2022 03:46 PM)LUSportsFan Wrote:  I don't think it would be a correct statement to say that any school already FBS was in ADA compliance. Along with fire and life safety issues, ADA compliance was one of the justifications used for Texas A&M's Kyle Field renovation. The Kyle Field project would probably qualify as having DRASTIC changes to the stadium. All the the changes were not ADA related, but ADA compliance was one of the justifying factors for the major renovation.

While ADA played a role, the deteriorating condition of the existing Kyle Field foundation gave its engineers some sleepless nights. The school had essentially built the entire stadium, layer upon layer, from a concrete shell built in 1927. It had never done a tear down and rebuild (as have other schools), they just built right on top.
Concrete wears out. So too, when 90,000 people are swaying back and forth during games. It was an old joke in A&M circles that you could always spot the reporter making his first trip to the press box when you saw him startled by the entire press box moving during the Aggie War Hymn...because it was actually moving.

The liability could not be ignored. Fortunately for A&M, they have a base of fans who would not take "no" for an answer when some proposed moving the games to a new stadium off campus or playing in Houston for a few years. The Kyle Field project was done with $0 financing--all gifts.

(05-10-2022 05:46 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  Am I correct that any school that was already FBS was in compliance? Or st least had easier time renovating?

No. Rice Stadium still isn't compliant. That's why the north endzone facility does not actually touch the stadium. I have read that this is also why they have not upgraded the power systems. Once they start with modifications of the stadium (to what extent I am not certain), the stadium must be made compliant. We'll find out what that means in the next few years when Rice actually starts spending on the stadium.

The original Rutgers Stadium was not compliant with ADA. It was a WPA project also. Rutgers didn’t become compliant until the Stadium was rebuilt in 1994.

Miami's Millett Hall isn't compliant, right now there's a single concourse where you either need to climb up or down stairs to reach the entry portals. There is an elevator to the seating bowl walkway with some handicapped seating areas, but without ramps or a stairless entry that are usable during a power failure I doubt it's up to ADA standards. The whole facility is in decent structural shape otherwise but badly needs a major renovation to modernize the aesthetics and bring seats closer to the court.

The West Stands at Georgia Tech are still not ADA compliant to this day. Especially the Upper West stands. When Bobby Dodd Stadium was renovated and expanded in 2003, the West Stands were deliberately untouched due to this.

When TCU rebuilt Amon Carter Stadium it all became ADA compliant as did Schollmaier Arena.