Changes are coming to Tiger Stadium.
Emmett David, associate athletics director for facilities and project development, said the Athletics department is moving forward with an environmental abatement project to clear out the south and east stadium dormitories. Once complete, the south stadium dorms will be demolished and the east stadium dorms will be repurposed into swing space, David said.
“It’s an abandoned space,” David said. “We’ve been under citation to get it either closed off or co-compliant, so the best thing is to demolish it. It’s out-used it’s useful life.”
The University will begin accepting bids for the project Nov. 15. In a report to the Louisiana Board of Regents, the University estimated the abatement project will cost $430,000.
David said the demolition of the south stadium dorms will begin after the completion of the abatement process. Concrete needs to be re-poured for the breezeway to be ready for football fans for the first 2017 home game against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
The demolition of the south stadium dorms will offer fans a wider concourse near the south stadium entrances. With a crowd of 102,000 people, having the space is an asset to ease crowds, he said, and can be used to offer more entertainment opportunities to fans, such as bands or vendors.
The increased concourse space is also important for security.
In the event of a lightning strike, the widened concourse provides more space for staff to vacate fans to a protected space underneath the stadium. David estimated Athletics staff will be able to fit 30,000-40,000 fans beneath the stands with the increased space, or evacuate patrons more quickly if necessary.
Ronnie Haliburton, associate athletics director for athletic facility management, said the dorms haven’t housed students since the 1980s. The space has been used for administrative, academic and research purposes in recent years, but the space’s declining conditions no longer meets University needs or standards.
“If it were a great place to live I promise you we’d have students living there, but it’s just not,” David said. “It’s not conducive for student housing.”
David said he thinks the project will take 90 days total, but he’s budgeting 120 days for the project to ensure it’s complete by March 2017. Haliburton said the south stadium dorm demolition should be complete by mid-August.
The timeline for the repurposing of the east stadium dorms is more fluid, David said. The current intention is to remodel the first floor into offices, a meeting room and storage space for either gameday concessioners or Athletics management, he said.
In the past five years, the Athletics department has spent between $12 million and $15 million, excluding the south stadium expansion, enhancing Tiger Stadium, including the addition of LED lights, plazas and improved gate systems, David said. The department is now shifting its attention to the stadium’s interior, he said.
The Athletics department is moving forward with an environmental abatement project to clear out the south and east stadium dormitories.
