The Kansas State University Wildcats took the field in early September in the shadow of the massive new West Stadium Center at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan. The project, which included deconstruction of the existing Dev Nelson Press Box late last year, was completed on an extremely tight schedule. Work on the majority of the 218,000-sq-ft expansion project began in January, and a certificate of occupancy was awarded near the end of August, five days ahead of schedule.
The project was completed by a joint venture of Mortenson/GE Johnson, along with the design team of AECOM and Heery International, K-State Facilities Management, and the State of Kansas Office of Facilities & Procurement Management.
The landmark project serves as the new northwest gateway to the Kansas State University campus and brings several crucial amenities to football fans, including covered ADA-accessible seating, an expansive KSU apparel and merchandise center, triple the amount of existing restrooms, a unique Tailgate Terrace and the Performance Training Table—a full-service student-athlete nutritional center serving all 16 of KSU’s athletic teams. The facility also boasts a large university suite, 44 luxury suites, 37 large boxes, and 713 club seats with high, cushioned chair backs.
Crews from Colorado’s Gallegos Corp. completed 80,000 sq ft of stonework and installed 2,000 pieces of cast stone in seven months, with 75% of that work completed in the last four months. Originally designed as a stone-and-precast façade, the precast was changed to stone to further reduce costs and speed up design, fabrication and installation time. In spite of the already ambitious nature of the project and the rigid schedule, an increase in funding led to expansion of the project scope.
New field lighting was added to the east side of the stadium, and a $900,000 concourse upgrade was undertaken on the south side. Additionally, the construction team managed the food service equipment installations, furnishings and equipment, and the student athlete “training table” area—all in only eight months.
A dedication ceremony was held outside the new stadium center prior to its debut game in September, featuring comments from Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, K-State Head Coach Bill Snyder, Kansas State University President Kirk Schultz, representatives of Kansas State University Athletics, the cast of ABC’s Modern Family, private donors and others.
Before the ribbon cutting, GE Johnson CEO and President Jim Johnson, himself a KSU graduate, said, “Great things are accomplished by a great team, and this project was accomplished by a great team.”
