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
| Jul 29, 2013
2013 Giants 300 Report
The editors of Building Design+Construction magazine present the findings of the annual Giants 300 Report, which ranks the leading firms in the AEC industry.
| Jul 19, 2013
Renovation, adaptive reuse stay strong, providing fertile ground for growth [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Increasingly, owners recognize that existing buildings represent a considerable resource in embodied energy, which can often be leveraged for lower front-end costs and a faster turnaround than new construction.
| Jul 3, 2013
World's biggest freestanding building opens in China
Measuring a stout 100 meters high, 500 meters long, and 400 meters wide, the New Century Global Centre in the Tianfu New District of Chengdu, China, is officially the world's largest freestanding building.
| Jul 3, 2013
Mall of America will double in size after $2.5 billion expansion
The nation's largest indoor mall will undergo a $2.5 billion, 10-year expansion project that will add attractions like an NHL-sized skating rink and an indoor water park.
| Jul 2, 2013
LEED v4 gets green light, will launch this fall
The U.S. Green Building Council membership has voted to adopt LEED v4, the next update to the world’s premier green building rating system.
| Jul 1, 2013
Report: Global construction market to reach $15 trillion by 2025
A new report released today forecasts the volume of construction output will grow by more than 70% to $15 trillion worldwide by 2025.
| Jun 28, 2013
Building owners cite BIM/VDC as 'most exciting trend' in facilities management, says Mortenson report
A recent survey of more than 60 building owners and facility management professionals by Mortenson Construction shows that BIM/VDC is top of mind among owner professionals.
| Jun 13, 2013
7 great places that represent excellence in environmental design
An adaptive reuse to create LEED Platinum offices, a park that honors veterans, and a grand national plaza are among the seven projects named winners of the 2013 Great Places Awards. The Environmental Design and Research Association recognize professional and scholarly excellence in environmental design, with special attention paid to the relationship between physical form and human activity or experience.
| Jun 5, 2013
USGBC: Free LEED certification for projects in new markets
In an effort to accelerate sustainable development around the world, the U.S. Green Building Council is offering free LEED certification to the first projects to certify in the 112 countries where LEED has yet to take root.
| Jun 3, 2013
Construction spending inches upward in April
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during April 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $860.8 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised March estimate of $857.7 billion.