UF to Hire Architect for $400 million Renovation to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

As a former engineer, I do not understand how you can "remove" seats in a stadium that is built with concrete. About the only thing you can do is to give everyone wider seats but the limiting factor HAS to be the depth of the seats before it drops to the next level. If they choose to go with less seats, they are going to have to remove major sections and replace it with more "roomy" setups. That is spending a LOT of money.

I am somewhat skeptical about getting real value out of the money. More like a major facelift instead of a quantum leap forward.

 

If you look at the seating study (linked in post #24) a couple of the options they look at is just to increase seat width, and others include increasing the tread depth by 8 inches in the lower half. I assumed tread depth is the row depth, but I didn't see a clear definition in the report. If true, I wondered if they limited changing the tread depth to only in the lower half since that would be more practical/feasible from a construction standpoint without having to completely redo the supports and other things.

Either way, that report is worth a quick look. IF those options are representative of what UF will be choosing from, they're projecting a reductions of 15K+ seats unless they opt only to make the seats and aisles a little wider (i.e. Scenario 2).

 

The Penn State project makes me wonder if the $400M base price isn't going to be much higher once we get into the design of this. The figure is a bit concerning when you start looking at other projects, this isn't something we can get cheap with.

 

There are different "Alteration Levels" in the Florida Building Code for existing structures. There are also provisions for this in the Florida Fire Prevention Code.
Level 1 is just just replacing equipment or finishes in kind. No requirement to bring it building up to current code.
Level 2 is the reconfiguration of a space or removal or addition of windows or doors. This is when you have to start bringing things up to current codes.
Level 3 is when the work area exceeds 50% of the building. Here you have to bring things up to current code as well as some other things.
Basically, if you don't touch the bleachers they should be fine. If you are going to change them to seats or put backs on them, you will have to meet the egress requirements in Chapter 10 of the FBC.

 

So, all those blue seats in the stadium that are popping up all over the place has not triggered a codes violation? Okay, I believe you... just wondering how this all works out in the end.

 

I'm not sure what blue seats you are talking about but if they aren't permanent then no code violation. If they are I imagine it is some kind of companion seat for a wheelchair spot.

In the end, a comprehensive life safety study will be completed by the architect and will have by in from the Authority Having Jurisdiction. It would be a fun project to be involved with.

 

I hope we spend tons on concession stands, more of them... restrooms, more of them... lights both game lights and LEDs everywhere... maybe outer stadium LED lights too, and bigger better score boards. Not as much on seating deletions.

 

I would say that is the best solution. Maybe some new fixed seating in the corners or the N. endzone where it would be easier to achieve. More restrooms would definitely be needed. Some quick calculations are below.
Stadium is classified as an A-5 occupancy and figure 80K seats to make math easy. 40K men and 40K women. For men we would need about 340 fixtures (mixed in between urinals and toilets). Women would require more since they are slow, about 680 toilets. I seriously doubt there are anywhere near those numbers in our beloved Swamp.

 

Amazing TV's and all games broadcast. Rising prices in stadium. NIL/Portal meaning player allegiance is fleeting, as is fans. A decade of average football. Changing conferences. All mean, you better give the people willing to still pay for tickets, food, drinks, parking and sweat their sacks off, a reason to do so. The dynamics have greatly changed in the past 15 years.

 

I understand that I just "don't get it " as someone from a distant era that doesn't feel so distant. I mean football players used to have lockerooms that actually looked like lockerooms as well. No way the facilities from yesteryear fly today. They would look like prison day rooms in comparison.

I just remember when the only thing that mattered was trying to lose my voice from yelling. It was hot, cramped and loud but we just didn't care. I know those days are gone but it's hard to process sometimes

 

I heard a rumor today that a new stadium and parking would be built where the golf course is located. UF is building a new golf course on donated land west of Archer road and SW 91st St. Interesting idea, don’t have any inside information.

 

If that was in the works, there’s no reason to be talking about a 400 million dollar investment in the swamp.

 

Who’s the last legacy program to build a completely new football stadium as an upgrade in the last 50-70 years anyone?

 

Put a 1 in front of that 400 if they want a new place.

 

That was floated as a possibility a year ago or more but I've never seen anywhere that it was ever a serious plan.

 

or a 0 after it

 

I think SS ran that up the flagpole but it wasn't well received

 

The one scenario that made the most sense was demo the lower bowl and increase depth for chairbacks. The upper bowl only gets wider aisles and an increase in seat width

 

I just found the idea interesting. It would solve all the problems and issues that everyone has mentioned so far. It was just water cooler talk.

 

Correct. Haven't seen any talk on it for a while now.