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An ODU group has put forth a plan for a $45 mil expansion of Foreman Field from 20k to 30k by 2013. Led by engineering professor David Basco the plan calls for building over the clamshells, squaring them off, and connecting the endzone seats. It doesn't sound like it would amount to anything, but they actually presented to:

a handful of ODU administrators, including associate athletic director Bruce Stewart, and some of the region's top architects and engineers, including the man whose name resides on the stadium facade, Steve Ballard.

"I'm interested to see what they have to offer," said Ballard, whose company completed a $24.8 million renovation of the stadium nine months ago.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/04/odu-stu ... eman-field

I wonder if they considered the ADA requirements that will have to be made to the clamshells? I'm pretty sure ODU will demolish the clamshells and build from scratch before they'll connect them to anything else.

danefan wrote:I wonder if they considered the ADA requirements that will have to be made to the clamshells? I'm pretty sure ODU will demolish the clamshells and build from scratch before they'll connect them to anything else.

That's a good question. I wonder if they didn't build on the existing structure if it would still be grandfathered in?

Benne wrote:

danefan wrote:I wonder if they considered the ADA requirements that will have to be made to the clamshells? I'm pretty sure ODU will demolish the clamshells and build from scratch before they'll connect them to anything else.

That's a good question. I wonder if they didn't build on the existing structure if it would still be grandfathered in?

If nothing new touches the structure I believe its grandfathered. That's why, for example, Delaware is adding luxury boxes and a press box that is technically a free-standing structure behind the current stands.

I'm now remembering the discussion I had about the Delaware plans. ADA compliance in stadium renovations is an interesting standard that revolves around whether something is a major renovation. If its merely cosmetic then its grandfathered. Other than that I believe its based on the % of seats modified/renovated/added/removed, etc... If you go over a certain % then you have to make the whole stadium compliant.

danefan wrote:That's why, for example, Delaware is adding luxury boxes and a press box that is technically a free-standing structure behind the current stands.

They are?

89Hen wrote:

danefan wrote:That's why, for example, Delaware is adding luxury boxes and a press box that is technically a free-standing structure behind the current stands.

They are?

wasn't that the plan? I specifically remember discussing the Tub renovation plan of a free-standing building.

SB Ballard will be expanded; it's a matter of "when" and not "if." That said, this design is absolutely horrendous and I think most ODU fans would agree with me. Many suspect ODU already has preliminary designs vaulted somewhere, as they never even touched the clamshell structures when renovating the stadium other than some mild stuff.

This project was also given to a group of underclassmen. What they came up with was far superior (aesthetically) to the design their senior counterparts came up with. The design above honestly looks like it was put together less than a day before the presentation as I could probably create that in autocad in less than an hour.

As I've said on the ODU message board, I'll try to find what the underclassmen came up with. And if I can't, I'll try to recreate it when I have the time based on my memory of the design. Also, what the underclassmen came up with doesn't touch the existing structures (except for the endzone bleachers)

I believe the Foreman Field clam shells were brought up to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Accessibility Guidelines. They took out a bunch of seats and put in a ADA wheelchair ramp to a platform and when they renovated the restrooms they made them ADA accessible (the old pee wall wouldn't work). The above design was done by an engineering class, I would like to see the architectural students take a shot at it. The school has started a design ~30K, that they are keeping close to their chest.

DaBigBlue wrote:I believe the Foreman Field clam shells were brought up to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Accessibility Guidelines. They took out a bunch of seats and put in a ADA wheelchair ramp to a platform and when they renovated the restrooms they made them ADA accessible (the old pee wall wouldn't work). The above design was done by an engineering class, I would like to see the architectural students take a shot at it. The school has started a design ~30K, that they are keeping close to their chest.

So that answers the ADA question.

danefan wrote:

89Hen wrote: They are?

wasn't that the plan? I specifically remember discussing the Tub renovation plan of a free-standing building.

That is the talk, but there's nothing in the works.

89Hen wrote:

danefan wrote:
wasn't that the plan? I specifically remember discussing the Tub renovation plan of a free-standing building.

That is the talk, but there's nothing in the works.

From today's News Journal:

Specifically, Delaware hopes to build an athletic performance center in the north end zone of Delaware Stadium that would house weight-training and conditioning, athletic training, sports medicine and academic advisement areas.

In addition, a new pressbox/luxury suite structure is envisioned, surrounded by a concourse, at Delaware Stadium. The two additions would likely result in the north end of Delaware Stadium being bowled in and capacity being increased from its present 22,000 to somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000.

“We’ve gotten some seed gifts,” Muir said, “but we need some flagship gifts to make it happen.”

Source: http://blogs.delawareonline.com/college ... olleyball/

that layout looks stupid.
IMO foreman field should expand.
they should leave the clamshells alone, gives the stadium character
she should make the endzone seating perm.
expand the endzone seating to 'wrap around' to both sideline structures.
that'll get you to 30k

DaBigBlue wrote:I believe the Foreman Field clam shells were brought up to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Accessibility Guidelines. They took out a bunch of seats and put in a ADA wheelchair ramp to a platform and when they renovated the restrooms they made them ADA accessible (the old pee wall wouldn't work). The above design was done by an engineering class, I would like to see the architectural students take a shot at it. The school has started a design ~30K, that they are keeping close to their chest.

That's really good news for disabled people especially the wheelchair users. They can comfortably move to their seats without hassle. I am very excited to see the foreman field when it is finished.