The University of Washington will attempt to remodel Husky Stadium at the end of the 2010 season despite the lack of state money to partially fund the project. The force driving the project is lower material, labor costs, and bond costs that are now temporarily available that could shave 1/3 of the cost of the original projected cost. The Regents, UW admimistration, and the Stadium Committee couldn't pass that opportunity up.
"We want it to be as cheap as possible," said UW athletic director Scott Woodward. "We are going to be as creative as we can to make that happen."
Under the new plan, the UW would also have to generate more money. That likely means more premium seating and all sorts of other entrepreneurial ideas — everything from new vendors to the possibility of selling naming rights.
While Woodward says they want to make it as cheap as possible ....$200 million isn't exactly cheap in any stretch of the imagination. They will raise approximately $50 million in contributed cash and fund the rest of the project with bonds.
The basic elements of the remodel remain: replacing the lower seating bowl, removing and relocating the athletic track to allow seating closer to the playing field, lowering the field about seven feet, and renovating the stands. UW may delay constructing a new building for locker rooms and weight-training facilities even though they still plan to build out at least the shell of the football operations building planned to be built in the Northwest end zone.
Final decisions will be made by July 1st once the final bids are received.