Stadium coming to campus in 2010

The Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees voted on Tuesday to pursue plans of building a football stadium on the Boca Raton Campus.

Stadium talks have swirled around the university for nearly five years, but plans finally came to fruition at the BOT meeting in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday. With three options on the table, the BOT chose option three - the "phased" option.

Option one was supported by Head Football Coach Howard Schnellenberger, Athletic Director Craig Angelos and past National Alumni Association President and current BOT member Armand Grossman. The proposal called for a $150 million 40,000-seat domed football stadium surrounded by retail shops and 3,000 bedrooms for residents and employees of the university. The basketball team and other entertainment events would take place in the domed-stadium, but it would cost nearly $5,000 to move the bleachers every time a new event was in the building.

Option two called for the construction of a 30,000-seat open-aired football stadium and a 10,000 seat arena for basketball and concerts. Retail shops and housing would also be included in the $150 million package.

Option three will provide a 30,000 seat open-aired stadium along with housing and retail shopping. Housing and retail shops would open in 2008 and 2009. The continued revenues from these buildings would then fund the continued construction of the football stadium, which is expected to be completed for the 2010 football season. The stadium would be constructed in a manner where a "phase two" could be added years later. Phase two could include extra seating, a dome, or the 10,000 arena.

Currently, there are over 400 students that are on a waiting list for on-campus living. There are also plans for eventually adding Greek housing to the campus - something that could be included in the residential plans for the stadium.

Angelos spoke this morning to 75 football fans, faculty, staff and coaches at Schnellenberger's weekly football breakfast. Along with the exciting news of the stadium, he also told the crowd of the bad news.

For months, there has been talks of the City of Fort Lauderdale and the Baltimore Orioles combining to make the Lockhart Stadium football/baseball complex a state-of-the-art baseball spring training facility for the Orioles. Next football season, renovations will start in what is now the FAU football lockerroom and eventually demolish the stadium. FAU is expected to find a temporary home to bridge the gap between Lockhart and the on-campus facility for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

Temporary facilities include Dolphin Stadium, which is about $85,000 a game. Another thought was to build temporary aluminum bleachers around the new track and field/intramural football field on campus. That would cost nearly $600,000 a year. Comparably: Lockhart Stadium costs the university $25,000 a game.

The BOT is asking for a minimum of $20 million to be fundraised by the university for the new stadium. The BOT will address construction plans for the stadium in six months.