BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The massive facility at the north end of A.W. Mumford Stadium is not 100 percent complete but after years of delays and 20 months of construction, it’s open for business.
Southern Athletic Director Greg LaFleur got a call Tuesday from Larry McGhee, project manager for the Southern University Foundation.
McGhee told LaFleur that Southern coaches and staff members can begin moving in.
“We’re going to kind of stagger this (move-in),” LaFleur said. “They’re still putting some finishing touches, so we’ll phase our way into the facility and give them room to finish.”
The new facility officially titled the Arnett W. “Ace” Mumford Fieldhouse isn’t completely finished, but LaFleur said it can accommodate fans who want to sit in the 2,500 outdoor, bleacher-style seats Saturday, when Souther tees it up against Central State.
LaFleur said the university plans to open the five suites, adding Southern has “commitments” to buy at least some of them.
Construction on the three-story, 84,000-square foot facility began early last year with a final completion date of Sept. 21.
Matthew Jones, project manager for The Lemoine Company, said the firm wanted to get the facility “football-ready” in time for the home opener.
LaFleur said he didn’t know if the team would actually dress out in the new locker room Saturday.
McGhee said the equipment and locker rooms could accommodate the team on game day, though some rooms are still awaiting final add-ons like shelving and fixtures.___Information from: The Advocate, http://www.2theadvocate.com —-Contact The Daily Reveille at [email protected]