A major expansion and renovation of the University of Colorado at Boulder’s football stadium, which had experienced cost overruns over the past two years, was recently completed. The $177 million project—which was financed with bond debt that the school’s athletic department will repay in full through fundraising, business contracts, and community partnerships—centralizes the university’s athletic programs, and is being touted as “transformational” by Mortenson Construction, for which this is its largest design-build sports project to date.
Among the project’s key elements are a 212,000-sf expansion of Folsom Field; a 38,000-sf renovation of Dal Ward Athletic Center, which now includes men’s and women’s Olympic sports locker rooms and an 11,285-sf weight room; the construction of a 108,000-sf, 90-foot high, net-zero-energy indoor practice facility that will serve all of the university’s sports programs and includes a six-lane 300-meter Olympic track; a 534-stall parking garage that Mortenson delivered under a separate contract; and the addition of Franklin Field, a 106,000-sf outdoor grass practice field next to the indoor facility.
This project included the construction of a 108,000-sf net zero energy indoor practice facility that includes a six-lane 300-meter Olympic track that allows the university fo host sanctioned tack and field events on campus. The facility is 90 feet high, enough clearance for the football team's kickers to practice. Image: Courtesy of Mortenson.
The upgraded complex now includes Champions Center, the new home of CU’s football and Athletic Administration. The Center offers a state-of-the-art locker room and lounge, with dining facilities and rooftop terrace for game-day and special events.
A new Sports Medicine and Performance Center, built in partnership with Boulder Community Health, is now open to the public.
The upgrade added 2,604 solar panels that will generate 1,200 MWh/year of energy. And 1,876 stadium seats were replaced.
During the construction, Mortenson created an interactive model of the project that the community and other stakeholders could navigate using a game controller. The exhibit was displayed on a mobile TV in campus buildings near the stadium, and has served as a communication and fundraising tool.
The Building Team included Populous (architect), M-E Engineers (MEP), Martin/Martin (SE), J3 Engineering (CE), Wenk Associates (landscape architect), Ludvik Electrical (electrical trade partner), Mortenson Construction (GC), Murphy (mechanical trade partner).
A total of 3,161 workers were employed on this project, with the onsite workforce peaking at 600 for one day. The Building Team had 550-plus days without a recordable injury on the Indoor Practice Field.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Oct 17, 2023
Top 70 Sports Facility Construction Firms for 2023
AECOM, Turner Construction, Clark Group, Mortenson head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest sports facility contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 17, 2023
Top 130 Sports Facility Architecture Firms for 2023
Populous, Gensler, HOK, and HKS head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest sports facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Contractors | Sep 25, 2023
Balfour Beatty expands its operations in Tampa Bay, Fla.
Balfour Beatty is expanding its leading construction operations into the Tampa Bay area offering specialized and expert services to deliver premier projects along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Mixed-Use | Sep 20, 2023
Tampa Bay Rays, Hines finalize deal for a stadium-anchored multiuse district in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball team announced that it has reached an agreement with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County on a $6.5 billion, 86-acre mixed-use development that will include a new 30,000-seat ballpark and an array of office, housing, hotel, retail, and restaurant space totaling 8 million sf.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 1, 2023
New Tennessee Titans stadium conceived to maximize types of events that can be hosted
The new Tennessee Titans stadium was conceived to maximize the number and type of events that the facility can host. In addition to serving as the home of the NFL’s Titans, the facility will be a venue for numerous other sporting, entertainment, and civic events. The 1.7-million sf, 60,000-seat, fully enclosed stadium will be built on the east side of the current stadium campus.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 31, 2023
Small town takes over big box
GBBN associate Claire Shafer, AIA, breaks down the firm's recreational adaptive reuse project for a small Indiana town.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 115 Architecture Engineering Firms for 2023
Stantec, HDR, Page, HOK, and Arcadis North America top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
2023 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
A record 552 AEC firms submitted data for BD+C's 2023 Giants 400 Report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 175 Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Corgan, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 26, 2023
10 ways public aquatic centers and recreation centers benefit community health
A new report from HMC Architects explores the critical role aquatic centers and recreation centers play in society and how they can make a lasting, positive impact on the people they serve.