This week, a building team that includes Clark Construction Group topped out the 35,000-seat-capacity Aztec Stadium at San Diego State University.
The structural steel operations for the $310 million stadium were completed 11 months after construction commenced. Once the stadium opens in September 2022, it is expected to host more than 300 events annually, including collegiate and professional football and soccer games, concerts, and cultural events.
The facility, which project architect Gensler Sports designed to meet LEED Gold certification, is the first phase of SDSU Mission Valley, a mixed-used, medium-density campus innovation district that will include transit, 95,000 sf of retail, 4,000 residences and 400 hotel rooms, and more than 80 acres of parks and recreation space. This district is projected to have a $3.1 billion economic impact on San Diego, create 17,000 jobs, and increase the university’s enrollment by 15,000.
What had been Qualcomm Stadium was demolished—after the San Diego Chargers football team relocated to Los Angeles—to make way for SDSU Mission Valley. In June 2020, the university agreed to pay the city $88 million to acquire 135 acres of Mission Valley for this district.
CREATED 6,500 CONSTRUCTION JOBS
The Aztec Stadium is supported by 2,500 steel beams. Image: Clark Construction Group.
Some 30,000 cubic yards of concrete were poured for Aztec Stadium, which is supported by 2,500 steel beams. On average, 300 craft workers representing 15 different trade partners were on-site daily. The construction of the stadium provided nearly 6,500 construction jobs in total. In aggregate, local firms—including 35 San Diego-based businesses—were awarded $250 million in construction contracts.
Signature design elements that create connectivity to the field include the venue’s concourse level “neighborhoods,” designed to reflect the city’s diverse communities, and unique standing-room-only “piers” that jut out over stadium seating and conjure a coastal vibe.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Jul 28, 2015
OMA designs terraced sports center for UK's Brighton College
Designs for what will be the biggest construction project in the school’s 170-year history feature a rectangular building at the edge of the school’s playing field. A running track is planned for the building’s roof, while sports facilities will be kept underneath.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 23, 2015
McKinney, Texas, dives into huge pool-and-fitness center project
Money magazine is the latest publication to rank McKinney, Texas, as the best place to live in the U.S. The city is trying to capitalize its newfound status to attract more residents and businesses, with amenities like this new recreation center.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 23, 2015
Japan announces new plan for Olympic Stadium
The country moves on from Zaha Hadid Architects, creators of the original stadium design scrapped last week.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jul 17, 2015
Japan scraps Zaha Hadid's Tokyo Olympic Stadium project
The rising price tag was one of the downfalls of the 70-meter-tall, 290,000-sm stadium. In 2014, the cost of the project was 163 billion yen, but that rose to 252 billion yen this year.
Cultural Facilities | Jul 13, 2015
German architect proposes construction of mountain near Berlin
The architect wants to create the world’s largest man-made mountain, at 3,280 feet.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | May 14, 2015
Guy Holloway proposes multi-level urban sports park for skaters
The facility will include a rock climbing wall and boxing space.
Cultural Facilities | May 13, 2015
MVRDV selected to design High Line-inspired park in Seoul
The garden will be organized as a library of plants, which will make the park easier to navigate.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | May 5, 2015
Architect scouts investors for underwater tennis court
While off duty, the tennis complex could double as exhibition space.
Mixed-Use | May 5, 2015
Miami ‘innovation district’ will have 6.5 million sf of dense, walkable space
Designing a neighborhood from the ground-up, developers aim to create a dense, walkable district that fulfills what is lacking from Miami’s current auto-dependent layout.
Hotel Facilities | Apr 30, 2015
Atlanta Braves partner with Omni Hotels & Resorts to build hotel near new Suntrust Park
The Omni Atlanta Northwest Hotel will feature 16 floors with 260 guest rooms and suites, rooftop hospitality suites, 12,500 sf of meeting space, a signature restaurant, and an elevated pool deck and bar overlooking the plaza and ballpark.
