School Board Hears Memorial Field Options

The State College Area School Board on Monday reviewed two project options for the second and final phase of Memorial Field renovations.

Representatives from the architectural firm of Weber Murphy Fox, hired in May to plan and design the renovations, presented project concepts to update the home side bleachers, install locker rooms and upgrade restrooms.

Both options call for replacing the bleachers on the field’s east side and a base seating capacity of 3,000 with an alternate option to add 500 seats. In both plans, plazas would connect Sidney Friedman Park and Nittany Avenue entries on the east side, and 16 parking spaces would be included on site.

Option A would repurpose the existing district building at 131 W. Nittany Ave. to be used for restrooms, concessions and locker rooms on the lower level and coaches classrooms on the upper levels. The option includes a ramp to the field adjacent to the east side of the building. The option also would connect the existing west side bleachers to a new concourse along the north and south end zones.

The estimated cost for Option A is $8,486,049, including a 10 percent contingency fund. Construction would begin in January 2018 and be completed in January 2019. Drawbacks include less plaza space, some partially obstructed views and an 18-foot drop from the south plaza to the field.

Option B would demolish the administrative building and locker rooms and other project elements would be incorporated into a new building under the bleachers. It includes a ramp to the field adjacent to the north side parklet. The west side bleachers would be connected to a new concourse along the south end zone.

The estimated cost for Option B is $8,666,658, including a 10 percent contingency fund. Construction would begin in May 2018 with completion in December 2019, with the later completion date requiring temporary bathrooms for both the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Option B would offer more plaza space than Option A.

Weber Murphy Fox consulted with coaches, band directors and others as it developed options. A public forum is being planned for mid-January, and district administration wants the board to select an option at its Feb. 6 meeting to allow a year for development before construction begins.

The first phase of Memorial Field renovations was completed in 2013, adding 929 seats and improving the west side bleachers.