The pilings have already been driven for the new Alex Box Stadium, but that didn’t stop University officials from officially breaking ground Monday at the stadium’s construction site at the corner of Nicholson Drive and Gourrier Lane.
The new stadium is scheduled to be ready for team practices by October 2008, and the first game will be played at the new facility February 2009.
“This is a very, very nice baseball field that has all the amenities for the fans and for the players,” Bertman said. “It is not a Taj Mahal. It doesn’t have any excesses at all, and I’m very, very proud of that.”
Construction of the new stadium, which is being headed up by Buquet & LeBlanc of Baton Rouge, is currently estimated to cost about $35 million, LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman said. But the stadium’s price tag will likely fluctuate since the project has been divided into two phases.
Phase one includes the major components of the stadium and will be completed by the first pitch of the 2009 season. Phase two includes amenities such as covered batting cages, more space for parking, a Hall of Fame room and an outfield berm. Bertman said he is hopeful phase two will be finished by February 2009 but can’t guarantee that will happen.
The project was split into phases because of the rising construction costs in the area since Hurricane Katrina. Bertman said costs to build the stadium have risen 30 to 40 percent after the storm because subcontractors have doubled or tripled their rates.
Members of the Athletic Department, including Bertman, and the Tiger Athletic Foundation will team up to help raise money to finance phase two of the project. Bertman said he has spoken to 40 people who have expressed interest in investing in the new stadium.
LSU coach Paul Mainieri said one of the most important phase two projects that need to be completed by the stadium’s opening is the indoor batting cages.
“We think we have somebody that’s thinking very favorably about doing that for us,” Mainieri said. “Obviously, that’s going to be a very critical part of the facility. We’re anticipating being able to raise the money and have the [batting cage] project done while the main project is being done.”
Mainieri, who is in his second year as LSU’s coach, said one of the best perks of the new facility is being able to show recruits the new stadium drawings to help lure them to play for the Tigers.
“I don’t think there is any way we would have the caliber of recruiting class that we had this year…if they didn’t realize we were having a new stadium coming,” Mainieri said. “When I had players on campus the first thing I did was show them the artists’ rendition of the new stadium.”
The new Alex Box Stadium will seat about 8,700 fans, but that capacity will expand to a bit more than 10,000 when the outfield berm is complete. There will be 7,000 additional square feet of restroom area and 3,000 additional square feet of concession stand area, compared to the current stadium.
One of the biggest changes will be the construction of a concourse in the stadium, which will allow fans to leave their seats and still see the game. There will also be expanded ticket booths and 19 luxury suites. More information on the new stadium can be found at www.makeyourpitch.net.
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