Associate Athletic Director Eddie Nunez said recent rain showers have not affected progress on the new Alex Box Stadium and Tiger Park, but if rain continues, he said weather could alter the construction schedule.
“We were fortunate that basically up until the last couple weeks we haven’t had pretty much [any] rain at all if any,” Nunez said. “They’ve been able to do things inside … it just moves our guys from one area to another. Instead of doing certain things they can’t do while it’s raining, they just do other things.”
Baton Rouge received 6.91 inches of precipitation in June and 11.18 inches of precipitation in May, according to Weather.com. The average monthly precipitation in the city is 5.34 inches.
Nunez also said the project is within budget so far, and there have been few changes to it.
The University is using bonds to fund the $12 million cost of Tiger Park and most of the $34 million cost of the new Alex Box Stadium.
Nunez said there have been no changes in material costs despite rising gas prices.
“Most of the stuff is ordered beforehand,” Nunez said. “They’re just delayed in shipping.”
The new Alex Box Stadium will be located on the corner of Nicholson Drive and Gourrier Lane.
The new Tiger Park will be located on Skip Bertman Drive, across from the School of Veterinary Medicine.
Nunez said the old stadiums will not be torn down until February, when officials are certain everything on the new stadiums is completed.
“We’re still in the decision-making phase of what’s going to happen in the future for those two sites,” Nunez said. “We won’t touch those parks until February, just to make sure that if some natural disaster does come through here … we will have something at least to fall back on.”
Nunez said the University has still has several options available for what to do with the old ballparks.
“A parking lot [for Alex Box stadium] is one of the things we’re looking into,” Nunez said. “But that is not set in stone yet.”
Nunez said a parking garage has been proposed for the old Tiger Park location.
“[It] seems to be a wonderful area for [a] future parking garage,” Nunez said. “With Graham Hall coming up, and the west campus and event parking, that would be a wonderful location.”
Nunez said nothing has been “set in stone with either facility” because the University is exploring its options.
“We’re still looking at what opportunities might present themselves that might be worth the University as well as the athletic deparment’s benefit,” Nunez said.
—Contact Robert Stewart at [email protected]