The second phase of Kenan Stadium's expansion could begin as early as next summer, UNC athletic director Dick Baddour said Friday. The time line depends on the public university's ability to raise enough private funding and get approval from its Board of Trustees.
UNC announced plans to begin selling individual luxury suites and club level seats for what it's calling the Student-Athlete Center for Excellence, a proposed five-story building for the east end zone that would replace the old fieldhouse. It would also include an academic support center for student-athletes, a strength and conditioning center for the school's Olympic sports programs and a visiting locker room.
"We still have not totally committed to do Phase II -- but we've committed to the effort to test the waters," Baddour said. "If we can sell enough of the seats ... while also raising funds for the academic support center through the Rams Club, then we can take it to the Board of Trustees."
The school spent $18 million on the first phase of the project, which included adding a fifth floor to the existing Kenan Football Center in the west end zone before this season.
The economic downturn led school officials to delay plans for the second phase in March. Since then, administrators have been re-evaluating and tweaking what they want to be included in the second phase, which is expected to cost anywhere from $70 million to $85 million. Details of the plans include:
•An academic center measuring 30,000 square feet that will triple the size of the one opened 23 years ago.
•A strength and conditioning center including 13,600 square feet of cardiovascular and strength-training equipment as well as a 40-yard track, almost doubling the space currently available.
•A new concourse in front of the Student-Athlete Center allowing fans to move around the entire perimeter of the stadium for the first time.
•The construction of 3,230 "Blue Zone" seats, including 1,986 club seats several feet from the field, 924 seats on the fourth floor and 320 seats in 20 suites on the fifth floor.
Revenue from the club seats, which will cost ticketholders $1,500 to $2,500 per season, and luxury suites ($50,000 per season) will pay for most of the project, Baddour said. The money generated by the new club seats and luxury suites also should help fund the school's athletic program for the next three decades, Baddour added.
As of Friday afternoon, UNC already had fielded commitments to buy 13 of the 20 suites.
Baddour said demolition in the east end zone could begin as early as June next year. That's assuming ticket and suite sales progress quickly alongside fundraising efforts, and assuming the Board of Trustees' approval.
It is estimated that the project would take about a year to complete.
