Phase II Stadium Changes

It looks like the plan for Reser phase 2 has changed a bit. I'm not sure how offical this is, but the Gill Annex is going to be rolled into phase 2 to help get it done.

Brooks Hatch: Raising Reser II update, football notes

The multiple changes in the plans are due to the skyrocketing price of steel and other materials. The Beavers expected to pay about $19 million on actual construction costs, but when estimates came back at approximately $31 million something had to give.

So as of Saturday:
* The lower east side grandstand will be wrapped around the south end zone to the Ironman statue, effectively bowling that half of the stadium.

* The new JumboTron and ticket booths will be erected behind the new grandstand. The fate of the current replay screen is undetermined.

* The north end zone will remain as is; no seating will be removed. The larger south grandstand will increase capacity from 43,300 to approximately 46,200.

* A new two-story weight room/wrestling room will be built directly across Ralph Miller Drive from the stadium as part of the Gill Coliseum annex. The basketball/volleyball arena portion will be added when funds are raised.

* It hasn't been decided what will become of the current Valley Center/Gill Coliseum weight rooms. Possibilities include an athletes lounge, a larger academic center, or suites, in the VFC, and expanded equipment/training/locker rooms in Gill Coliseum.

* Visiting teams will continue to dress in the old OSU football locker room in Gill Coliseum for the foreseeable future. The Beavers figured it made more sense to spend several million dollars on a new weight room/wrestling room for their athletes instead of converting a storage area under the west grandstand into a visiting locker room, or including one in the new south grandstand.

* If all goes as hoped, construction at Reser Stadium will start in December. Since the new weight room/wrestling room was a late addition, construction there won't begin until about March, 2007.