The University of Alabama is going big on their new home, as the school’s board of trustees Friday approved increasing the budget for the renovation of Bryant-Denny Stadium by approximately $13.5 million based on higher than expected construction costs.
With the approval, the budget for the renovation increases from $92.5 million to $106 million based on construction bids received for the project in August.
The project is slated to begin construction this year and be completed in time for the 2020 football season.
“We realized this is an aggressive construction schedule we are going to be talking about,” athletic director Greg Byrne told the Tuscaloosa News. “However, our contractors are confident. They have expressed they will deliver this on time,”
The News reports that the plans for the new stadium include “larger video score boards in the corners of the stadium, a student concourse, more premium seating options and lounge and club space, the relocation of the press box to the east side of the stadium, upgrades to the locker room and recruiting lounge, a renovation to the tunnel that the team uses to enter the field, more elevators, and an extension of the Walk of Champions into the Game Day Locker Room via a new tunnel.”
Overall seating capacity will be reduced by a few hundred seats but will remain over 100,000.
The project will be funded with $48.5 million in bonds, $35 million raised during the capital campaign, $22.5 million from an internal loan of university funds to the athletics department that is to be repaid.
