Duke Univ. is "planning major upgrades to Wallace Wade Stadium, in addition to building a new track-only stadium and adding new amenities to Cameron Indoor Stadium," according to Steve Wiseman of the Durham HERALD-SUN. Duke officials last Saturday unveiled a $250M plan that when complete, "will see Wallace Wade Stadium's seating capacity eventually increase to 44,000 while dramatically changing the look of the 83-year-old facility." The current Duke Sports Medicine Center overlooking the stadium "would be replaced by a building with at least 20 permanent luxury suites and 20 or more loge boxes in addition to a new press box." Once the track is removed from Wallace Wade Stadium, "the playing field will be lowered and new seats would be added to create a more intimate bowl around the field." The plan also "includes the construction of at least 700 club seats." Modern restrooms and concessions "will be built throughout the stadium." The final improvement will involve "closing the stadium's horseshoe opening at the south end with additional seats that will increase capacity, currently at 33,941, by more than 10,000." Meanwhile, Cameron Indoor Stadium's seating bowl and capacity "will not change," but a new two-story entrance lobby "will be constructed on the front end of the building where the traffic circle now exists." Inside the building, new luxury suites "will be built under and behind the seating bowl where offices are now located." Duke officials have been "quietly raising funds over the last two years for this project," and sources said that the earliest the upgrades could begin "would be next spring" (Durham HERALD-SUN, 9/30). In Raleigh, Laura Keeley noted a new track and field stadium "will be northwest of Wallace Wade Stadium." A new press box will "be built between it and Koshkinen Stadium, which houses both soccer and lacrosse." The two-story addition will include a "special access club and suites." New locker rooms "are in the plan as well, which calls for maintaining the trademark intimate atmosphere" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 10/1).
