An option to preserve and repurpose the basement of the State College Area School District’s 131 W. Nittany Ave. building as part of phase two of Memorial Field renovations was approved by the school board on Monday.
Under the design option selected by the board in January, the building, a former schoolhouse and later administrative center, was to be demolished and the basement filled in to form the foundation for a pedestrian plaza.
The building will still be demolished for a new entrance and plaza, but after public input, architectural firm Weber Murphy Fox studied the possibility of leaving the basement foundation walls in place. Retaining the basement provides about 3,000 square feet more of additional storage space than the original design option, director of physical plant Ed Poprik said.
The new design option also includes the potential for a coaches classroom. Including the repurposing of the Nittany Avenue building basement, the total estimated cost of the project is about $9.3 million.
District administrators recommended the option because it provided additional space at a reasonable cost, fewer construction costs than would be required to build the storage space and potential classroom under the east side bleachers and more flexibility during design development.
Administrators also recommended the addition of 696 seats with backs to the middle section of the east, home side bleachers at a cost of $75 per seat.
The overall project includes new east side seating, spectator and team facilities and plazas and walkways at both ends of the stadium.
Final design plans are expected for a vote in February 2018. The project, under the current timeline, would go to bid in March 2018 with bids awarded in May.
The West Nittany Avenue building demolition would occur in the summer, with construction beginning in December 2018. The project is expected to be completed by 2020.
