The Univ. of Missouri System Board of Curators “unanimously approved MU’s first phase for athletic upgrades, a bond-financed project totaling" $72M to renovate the east and west sides of Memorial Stadium, "plus other smaller projects to other athletic facilities,” according to Dave Matter of the COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE. The total “projected costs for the master plan" is $102M. The other $30M will “come from a donation by the Kansas City Sports Trust," the same group which donated $10M to MU for facility upgrades in ‘04. The K.C. Sports Trust's donation is “the second largest in the school’s history.” MU AD Mike Alden said that it was “the launching point" of a comprehensive $200M facility overhaul that the school "hopes to complete within the next eight to 10 years.” MU unveiled the renovation plans “with six artist renditions of Memorial Stadium (football), Taylor Stadium (baseball), University Field (softball) and revamped tennis and golf facilities.” Among the additions will be “a new indoor football practice facility planned for the area behind the Mizzou Athletic Training Complex and an additional weight room.” As part of the plans for Memorial Stadium, MU will “add an upper bowl on the east side of the stadium with more than 5,000 general admission seats and a club level with more than 1,000 seats, along with restrooms, concessions, lounge spaces, kitchen, support and circulation spaces.” The east-side addition will “cost an estimated" $46M and is "expected to be completed" in July '15. MU recommended architecture firm Populous “to handle the project for a basic service fee" of $1.88M. MU also proposed a $9.75M “renovation of the press box on the west side of the stadium.” MU “expects to finance the bulk" of the project through "increased revenue from the sales of additional premium seating on the existing west tower and the new east tower" (COLUMBIA DAILY TRIBUNE, 6/27).
A SECOND EXPANSION? In St. Louis, Stu Durando notes the expansion of Memorial Stadium will increase capacity from 71,004 to "about 77,000." Alden said that a “second expansion planned for the southern end will be predicated on fund-raising efforts and would push seating to more than 80,000” (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 6/27). Alden said that the department built its master plan “based on a study conducted by Conventions Sports and Leisure, a nationally renowned marketing firm that has worked with the university to plan the past renovations of Mizzou Arena and the Memorial Stadium press box.” Alden: “We're very confident in our ability to generate support for our premium seating and the additional seating, based upon the study” (COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN, 6/27).
