Houston Football Stadium

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Houston Football Stadium
Location 3874 Holman Street
Houston, Texas 77004
Coordinates 29°43′19″N 95°20′57″W / 29.72194°N 95.34917°W / 29.72194; -95.34917Coordinates: 29°43′19″N 95°20′57″W / 29.72194°N 95.34917°W / 29.72194; -95.34917
Broke ground February 8, 2013[1]
Opened August 30, 2014 (2014-08-30)
Owner University of Houston System
Operator University of Houston
Surface Artificial turf
Construction cost $120 million
Architect DLR Group
PageSoutherlandPage
Smith & Company Architects
Project manager Broaddus & Associates
Structural engineer Walter P Moore[2]
Services engineer Henderson + Rogers[2]
General contractor Manhattan Construction
Capacity 40,000
Executive suites 26 Suites, 42 Loge Boxes, 766 Club Seats
Website houstonfootballstadium.com
Tenants
Houston Cougars football (NCAA)

Houston Football Stadium is an American football stadium that is under construction in Houston. The stadium will be the home of the Houston Cougars football team, which represents the University of Houston in collegiate football. While construction began on December 3, 2012, the official groundbreaking for the stadium was on February 8, 2013,[3] and its estimated cost is $120 million.[4] The location of the stadium will be on the University of Houston campus, and is currently under construction upon the site of Robertson Stadium.[5] The stadium will be accessible via a planned expansion of METRORail in the Southeast Line and University Line's Cleburne/Scott Station. With a planned completion date in July 2014, the University of Houston has announced its intention to open the stadium to the public beginning in the 2014 season.

History

Planning and funding

On February 10, 2010, Houston athletics director Mack Rhoades announced that the University of Houston had hired engineering and architectural design firm AECOM to conduct a feasibility study regarding possible renovations or reconstruction of Houston's Robertson Stadium and Hofheinz Pavilion.[6][7][8] Results from the study allowed Houston to determine a plan, and on June 10, 2010, the university announced its intention to raze Robertson Stadium in preparation for a new stadium to be built on the location and perform major renovations for Hofheinz Pavilion.[9] The announced plan for seating capacity at the new stadium would be 40,000 with expandability to 60,000. With an estimated $120 million cost, Houston athletics also announced the start of a fundraising drive.[10]

On August 18, 2011, the University of Houston announced that they had received the largest single donation for the stadium when co-CEOs and co-founders of Austin-based Data Foundry, Ron and Carolyn Yokubaitis donated $10 million USD to the project.[11] Ron Yokubaitis is an alumnus of the University of Houston and former Cougars football player. It was also reported that the total raised for the stadium was then at $60 million USD, whereas approximately $80-$85 million USD were needed to break ground on the stadium.

On November 14, 2011, the Student Fees Advisory Committee (SFAC), a joint committee that is composed of several students and faculty along with an advisor which advises university administration about compulsory student fees, recommended an increase of student fees to specifically construct, maintain, and operate athletic facilities.[12][13] The committee also recommended that input from the student body was necessary, and that this would be appropriate through a student referendum made possible by future legislation in the Student Government Association (SGA).

On November 30, 2011, Student Senator Jared Gogets introduced the bill SGAR48007 to the Senate in SGA authorizing a referendum for a student service fee increase to be voted on by students as advised by the SFAC two weeks prior.[14][15][16] The bill was passed, and a referendum was then organized.

Following the conclusion of the regular football season, the Big East Conference invited Houston to become a full member. During the University of Houston's official announcement of its acceptance to the athletic conference on December 9, 2011, Chairwoman of the University of Houston System Board of Regents, Nelda Luce Blair, claimed that the university would be presenting a request for qualification (RFQ) to the public in order to obtain new architectural plans.[17] It was at this time that she also noted an expected ground-breaking date to occur in October 2012.

The official groundbreaking ceremony for the stadium took place on February 8, 2013

The ground-breaking date would later be revised to December 2012 when the RFQ was officially presented to the public on January 9, 2012.[18] It was also revealed that the planned completion date would be in July 2014 in time for the 2014 football season.

From January 31-February 1, 2012, the student referendum to allow a fee increase was voted on at the University of Houston. At the conclusion, it was announced that a total of 7,334 students (73.9%) had voted in favor of the fee increase, while 2,589 students (26.1%) had voted against it.[19] The voter turnout of the student body was the largest in the history of the university.[14]

During a regularly-scheduled meeting by the University of Houston System Board of Regents on February 15, 2012, the board was expected to vote on approval for the stadium's construction, but instead elected to table the matter in order to re-evaluate the proposed stadium's site until their next meeting. Other possible sites such as the on-campus intramural fields directly adjacent to Interstate 45 and an undeveloped area of campus adjacent to MacGregor Park were candidates.[20] On March 28, 2012, the Board of Regents officially decided to continue with the original plan of construction on the Robertson Stadium site, and cited added costs and difficulty in future expansion as reason for not using the alternate sites.

On June 12, 2012 the University of Houston announced that they had hired PageSoutherlandPage and DLR Group as joint architects for the facility.[4][21] Also in this announcement, the university updated its estimated cost to $105 million from the previous $120 million estimated in the 2010 feasibility study.

A funding package consisting of $85 million to finance the first phase of stadium construction was officially approved by the University of Houston System's Board of Regents on August 15, 2012.[22] At that time, the university's athletics department noted that they were on-schedule to gather the rest of the funds as necessary for the construction schedule, and the board of regents later approved the final $20 million financing package for the stadium at its May 14, 2013 meeting.[23] At their August 15, 2013 meeting, the UH Board of Regents approved Phase III funding for the football stadium in the amount of $15 million, bringing the total cost of the stadium back to $120 million.[24]

Design and construction

Major demolition of Robertson Stadium, Houston's previous home, officially began on December 10, 2012, however the south end zone was removed by December 6. On December 19, 2012, the Houston athletics department released architectural renderings of the stadium to the public.[25] In conjunction with a press conference, a new website for the stadium was launched.

Construction of the north side stands in September 2013

DLR Group and PageSoutherlandPage jointly designed the stadium to match the adjacent buildings including the new stadium parking garage that had been constructed earlier during the year, but also wanted a unique architectural design for the project.[26] The stadium was designed with a "corrugated metal exterior skin" that allows for optimal air flow and natural lighting.[26] A sun shade study was conducted to determine the best orientation for the new stadium. As a result, unlike the previous stadium, the orientation of the new stadium was designed to be in an "East-West" configuration to provide for greater comfort for fans and athletes. Simultaneously, the orientation allows for a maximized view of the Houston skyline.[26] The stadium site, at its on-campus location, is less than three miles from the Downtown Houston district.

The stadium is an open concourse design with a complete lower bowl built twenty feet below grade and seating 20,000 fans on top of the field.[27] The premium suites, loge boxes and club level are built on the concourse level in the middle of the home stands instead of on top of the grandstand like many college stadiums. As a result, these premium seats are as close to the field as any stadium in college football.

On February 8, 2013, the university hosted a formal groundbreaking ceremony at the stadium site featuring longtime Houston Rockets commentator and alumnus Bill Worrell with President Renu Khator, athletics director Mack Rhoades, and chairwoman Nelda Luce Blair.[3]

The official seating chart for the new stadium was released on July 19, 2013.[28][29]

Transportation and parking

The stadium will be accessible via multiple modes of transportation. Two lines of Houston's METRORail, the Southeast Line and the University Line, will allow for light rail access to the location via a station directly across from the stadium. While the University Line is still in planning stages, the Southeast Line is currently under simultaneous construction with the new stadium and is expected to open in mid 2014.[30] Built at a cost in excess of $800 million,[31] the Southeast Line will connect the Houston Theater District to the Astros' Minute Maid Park, the Dynamo's BBVA Compass Stadium, the new Houston Football Stadium, and beyond to MacGregor Park.[32]

Located between multiple roadways in a central area of Houston, the stadium will also be accessible via several lines of the METRO Bus service. Taxi cabs and pedicabs are expected to continue service to the stadium.

There will be a total of 3,735 parking spaces adjacent to the stadium.[33] The $26 million stadium garage,[34] which opened in 2012, will provide 2,268 spots. In addition, there will be 1,467 surface spots in the immediate vicinity of the stadium. There are thousands of additional parking places in satellite lots and other parking garages around campus.

References

  1. ↑ Duarte, Joseph (February 8, 2013). "UH Breaks Ground on New Football Stadium". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 24, 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Redeveloping the East End". Real Estate Biz Now. July 30, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2013. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rivas, Elissa (February 8, 2013). "University of Houston Breaks Ground on New Football stadium". KTRK. Retrieved February 8, 2013. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "University of Houston hires architects for new football stadium". KRIV. Houston. June 12, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012. 
  5. ↑ "Houston Cougars to get new stadium". Sports Illustrated. December 9, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2011. 
  6. ↑ Campbell, Steve (February 10, 2010). "UH Hires Fortune 500 Firm for Stadium Feasibility Study". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 14, 2011. 
  7. ↑ Berman, Mark (February 10, 2010). "UH Hires Firm to Study Sports Facilities". KRIV (Houston). Retrieved December 14, 2011. 
  8. ↑ Royal, John (February 16, 2010). "UH Begins To Look At Renovating Its Football And Basketball Facilities". Houston Press. Retrieved December 14, 2011. 
  9. ↑ "Houston planning new stadium". ESPN. June 10, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2011. 
  10. ↑ Campbell, Steve (June 11, 2010). "UH Ups the Sports Ante — by $160 Million". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 14, 2011. 
  11. ↑ Khan, Jr., Sam (August 18, 2011). "UH's Stadium Project Receives Boost With $10 Million Gift". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 14, 2011. 
  12. ↑ "SFAC Recommendations for FY13". University of Houston. November 14, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2012. 
  13. ↑ McGilvray, Taylor (November 16, 2011). "SFAC Releases Student Fee Budget Proposals". The Daily Cougar. Retrieved February 2, 2012. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Khan, Jr., Sam (February 2, 2012). "UH Students Vote for Fee Increase to Help Athletics". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 2, 2012. 
  15. ↑ Mann, Joshua (December 1, 2011). "Students to Vote on Fee". The Daily Cougar. Retrieved February 2, 2012. 
  16. ↑ Gogets, Jared J. (November 30, 2011). "Authorizing a Student Referendum on the Specialized Increase of the Student Service Fee". University of Houston Student Government Association. Retrieved February 3, 2012. 
  17. ↑ Khan Jr., Sam (December 9, 2011). "Amid Big East Celebration, UH Officials Talk New Football Stadium". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 14, 2011. 
  18. ↑ Khan, Jr., Sam (January 9, 2012). "UH Takes a Step Toward Its Stadium". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 3, 2012. 
  19. ↑ "Houston Students Support Fee to Pay for New Stadium". The Washington Post. February 2, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012. 
  20. ↑ Khan, Jr., Sam (March 28, 2012). "UH to Build New Stadium on Site of Existing One". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 3, 2012. 
  21. ↑ "Houston Athletics Names Architects for New Football Stadium". Houston Cougars athletics. June 12, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012. 
  22. ↑ Duarte, Joseph (August 15, 2012). "UH Regents Approve Financing for New Football Stadium". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 2, 2012. 
  23. ↑ "University of Houston System Board of Regents Agenda". University of Houston System. May 3, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2013. 
  24. ↑ "University of Houston System Board of Regents Agenda". University of Houston System. August 6, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2013. 
  25. ↑ Duarte, Joseph (December 19, 2012). "UH Unveils Renderings for New On-Campus Football Stadium". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 19, 2012. 
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 "Houston Unveils New Football Stadium Renderings". Houston Athletics. December 19, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2012. 
  27. ↑ Williams, Jack (July 15, 2013). "New UH Football Stadium Quickly Taking Shape". KUHF. Retrieved July 21, 2013. 
  28. ↑ "Houston releases new football stadium seating chart". The Potpourri. July 19, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2013. 
  29. ↑ "Houston Football Stadium Map". Houston Cougars athletics. Retrieved 2013-07-21. 
  30. ↑ "Fast Facts about Southeast Line Construction". Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. Retrieved July 21, 2013. 
  31. ↑ "Southeast Corridor LRT". Federal Transit Administration. Retrieved July 21, 2013. 
  32. ↑ Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (2013) (PDF). Southeast Line (Map). http://www.gometrorail.org/clients/2491/456055.pdf. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
  33. ↑ "Houston Football Stadium: FAQs". Houston Cougars athletics. Retrieved July 21, 2013. 
  34. ↑ Gardner, Max (April 10, 2012). "UH to increase parking spaces by 4,000". The Daily Cougar. Retrieved July 21, 2013. 

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