Penn State AD Pat Kraft updates Beaver Stadium, Lasch Building renovation projects
STATE COLLEGE — Penn State is preparing to take the next steps in its massive Beaver Stadium renovation project. A notice requesting bids for the project is on the university’s Office of Physical Plant website. It said, in part, that “Preconstruction will commence immediately upon award and conclude in August 2024. Miscellaneous enabling and selective demolition projects may begin in Spring 2024 and continue throughout construction. West sideline demolition and construction will immediately follow the 2024 football season.
“The main structural demolition of the West sideline is anticipated to be completed in two major phases following the 2024 and 2025 football seasons. The project will be substantially complete for the 2027 football season.”
Speaking Wednesday at a news conference inside of the 107,000-seat venue, Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft offered the latest on the project and where it stands.
“We’re 30 percent into design of this building,” Kraft said while sitting inside of the venue’s media room behind the south end zone. “This is like building a village. I haven’t even briefed the board or [university president] Neeli [Bendapudi] on where we are with Beaver Stadium. This is a major project. Thirty percent is where the pipes are going, and circulation. We feel really good about where we’re going.
“We’re looking at everything in this building. There isn’t a thing we aren’t evaluating in this process.”
Winterization is ongoing at the venue. Penn State will host country music star Luke Combs for a show this summer. And, Kraft said the school is open to one day hosting an NHL outdoor Winter Classic.
Penn State has been working toward this point
Kraft last discussed the Beaver Stadium plan at Big Ten Media Days in July. At that point, an architecture and engineering firm was being picked. Populous Architects, P.C. of Kansas City, Mo., has been picked to be it.
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“To get it done in the four-year window, the goal would be to do all the enabling projects right after this season: the winterization and get the design going and some of the stuff,” Kraft said last summer. “Then, the next season, you will be done with design. You still got to go to the board and do all those steps, but then you’re going right after, hopefully, the playoff game in [Dec. 2024]. Then you’re off to the races.”
The $700 million dollar plan is specific in terms of where work would be done.
“The plan is to focus on the west side of the stadium to provide improved access for broadcasting, greatly improved circulation, new restrooms, upgraded concession offerings and much-needed premium seating,” the project description says on the PSU OPP website. Blue-White Illustrated first reported the plan earlier this year.
Lasch Building work is underway
Back in May, the Penn State Board of Trustees announced a $22 million Lasch Building renovation plan. It included a “renovation of all office and meeting spaces on the second floor of the Lasch Building.” That project is currently underway as the team prepares to ship out to the Peach Bowl.
“They’re under construction there now,” Kraft said. “Everyone’s moving their offices. So once we head out here on Saturday [for Atlanta], they start to really move on the construction.”
The timeline to complete the project is unclear. But, it goes without saying that as soon as possible is the goal.
