Lane Stadium Expansion Facts and Figures
Updated 6/17/04: See "West Side
Expansion Update" below.
Note: The majority of the information presented here is present in the public domain. It has appeared in either the print media or the Hokie Huddler, or it has been repeated by Hokie representatives at various public gatherings.
Sources are identified where possible. Numbers, costs, and dates are highly subject to change. This information represents our best guess based on published articles, public statements, and rumors from good sources.
Expansion Summary
Beginning in 1999, Lane Stadium began undergoing extensive expansion. In bullet form, total expansion is planned for completion in the year
2005 and includes, in chronological order:
- approx. 5500 metal bleacher seats in the North end zone, built in two phases
-- complete.
- A video scoreboard in the North end zone -- complete.
- 11,000 seat structure in the South end zone, including luxury suites club
seats, and media rooms and visitors locker room. Construction starts May 2001, ends in time for 2002 season -- complete.
- Expanded press tower with luxury boxes and
indoor and outdoor club seats atop the West stands. Construction to begin in
2004 and be complete in time for the 2005 season.
- Upon completion, Lane Stadium will have a
capacity of 66,233 fans.
Updates:
West Side Expansion Update (added 6/17/04):
In August of 2003, the VT Board of Visitors (BOV) approved a final model for the
expansion to Lane Stadium's West side, with the following highlights (per a
Roanoke Times article from 8/26/03 on the topic):
- Cost: $52.5 million.
- Capacity: Increase from 65,115 to 66,233
(actual seating from 63,699 to 65,167).
- 1600 outdoor club seats with $1,500 annual
surcharge.
- 782 indoor club seats with $2,000 annual
surcharge.
- 12 suites between the towers (22 seats each),
$65,000 per year.
- 6 North-wing suites (19 seats each), $55,000
per year.
- 4 tower suites (35 seats each), $100,000 per
year.
- 1 suite between the towers (29 seats) for
$100,000.
- Other: ticket offices, Hokie Club offices, new
press box, approx. 20,000 square feet of academic offices.
- Financing: $15 million in Hokie Club
donations, $10 million naming rights, remaining $27.5 million serviced as
debt from box and seat revenue, plus a $3 ticket surcharge (already in
place).
- Construction starts: after 2003 football
season.
- Construction ends: prior to 2005 football
season.
- For
architectural drawings, click here.
West Side Expansion Update (added 6/13/03): In early June of 2003, VT received
$1.9 million in donations to push forward with planning for the West Side expansion, despite the uncertainty of ACC
expansion raiding the Big East.
It was also reported at the time that the BOV was considering a $53 million expansion
plan, instead of the $48 million plan previously approved in August 2002. August 2002 plan: 800 indoor club seats and
15-18 luxury boxes, $48 million. Prospective new plan: 2000 indoor club seats, 23 luxury boxes, $53 million.
The BOV will meet in August of 2003 to (a) set a timetable for construction -- if
construction starts at the end of the 2003 season, it could be ready in time for the 2005 season; (b) settle on a design
-- they'll either stay with the $48 million design or select the $53 million design.
For more info, please see the related
article by Mark Berman of the Roanoke Times.
Summary of West Side Expansion Status (added 4/10/03): In August of 2002, the VT
Board of Visitors approved the West Side expansion plan described here -- scroll down for details -- including 800
indoor club seats, stadium clubs, 15-18 luxury boxes, and an expanded/renovated press box (please see the related
article by Mark Berman of the Roanoke Times).
This design represented a change from a previously approved design that included 36
luxury boxes and 180 club seats, and in fact, the design may undergo more changes. In a March
3rd, 2003 Hokie Hotline appearance, VT Athletic Director Jim Weaver said that VT was looking at three different
expansion scenarios:
1.) Renovate the existing press box and build two
additional "towers", one each towards the North and South ends. Cost: $47.8 million. (This is the currently
approved plan.)
2.) Large expansion version: Add 22 new rows on the top of the West Side stands, plus two
new floors on the press box. Cost: $72-$75 million. (No other details given.)
3.) Smaller version of option 2: Add 10 or 11 rows and put two more levels on the press
box, stretching from North to South along the top of the West stands. Cost: $62-$65 million. (No other details given.)
The athletic department was supposed to meet with the architects one more time in March,
get some questions answered and tweak the designs a little more.
The earliest VT would start construction would be if they went with the current expansion
model, which is option (1). Construction could start as soon as the end of the 2003 football season and be finished in
time for the 2005 football season.
Weaver said he was confident the West Side will be expanded, he's just not sure how, and
he hopes the decision will be made by the end of April 2003.
| Lane Stadium
Expansion Summary |
| Year |
Major Expansion Item |
Est. Cost |
| 1999 |
2100 seats, North end zone (complete) |
$500,000 |
| 2000 |
3400 seats and video scoreboard, North end zone, 1596 additional "temporary" bleacher seats in South end zone
(complete) |
$3,000,000 |
| 2001 |
582 bleacher seats at field level in North end zone (band seating); 3268 South
end zone seats torn down to begin South end zone expansion (complete) |
unknown |
| 2002 |
11,000 seats, including luxury boxes and club seats, South end zone (complete) |
$37,000,000 |
| 2005 |
Expanded West side press tower, luxury boxes, and club seats |
$52,500,000 |
| Total Expansion Bill: |
$93,000,000 |
Future Work/Work in Progress
|
West Side Renovation/Expansion
(2005) |
| Scope |
Expand press box tower and add luxury boxes to West stands |
| Details |
Approved by the Board of Visitors in August of
2003 (see Roanoke
Times article):
- 1600 outdoor club seats with $1,500 annual
surcharge.
- 782 indoor club seats with $2,000 annual
surcharge.
- 12 suites between the towers (22 seats
each), $65,000 per year.
- 6 North-wing suites (19 seats each), $55,000
per year.
- 4 tower suites (35 seats each), $100,000 per
year.
- 1 suite between the towers (29 seats) for
$100,000.
- Other: ticket offices, Hokie Club offices,
new press box, approx. 20,000 square feet of academic offices.
- Capacity: Increase from present 65,115 to
66,233 (actual seating from 63,699 to 65,167).
|
| Start Date |
Following the 2003 football season. |
| End Date |
August 2005, prior to the 2005 football
season. |
| Cost |
$52.5 million |
| Funding |
West side financing plan calls for a $15 million in private donations,
a $10 million naming rights donation, and the remaining $27.5 million
financed.
|
| Photos |
Click here
|
Completed Work
(in reverse chronological order -- most recent work listed first)
|
South End Zone Expansion (2002) |
| Scope |
Build approximately 11,000 seats in South end zone. |
| Details |
- includes 8,800 stadium seats in two decks.
- includes 2,361 "club seats" requiring a $200 to $750 annual
"gift" per seat, in addition to purchasing season tickets.
- includes 15 luxury suites, seating 12 people in each suite, costing $42,000 each per season to rent.
- new South end zone construction will be double-decked.
- new concession stands, restrooms, and media rooms.
- huge visitors locker room.
- will generate $1.6 million in revenue for 2002 and
at least $2.2 million annually for the rest of the decade.
|
| Start Date |
May 2001 |
| End Date |
August 2002 |
| Cost |
$37 million (includes $2.9 million for preliminary planning for West stands expansion). |
| Funding |
$15 million in private funds raised to cover
construction costs and debt payments for the South end zone project. |
| Photos |
Click here |
|
North End Zone Expansion (2001) |
| Scope |
Build 582 bleacher seats at field level in North end zone |
| Details |
- It is
believed that the Virginia Tech band (and possibly the Corps of Cadets) will be seated in these seats.
- Note: the 3268 seats in the South end zone were torn down to begin South end zone
construction. With the addition of 582 seats and the removal of 3268 seats, this should bring Lane Stadium's
capacity for 2001 to 52,389.
|
| Cost |
unknown |
| Funding |
donations/athletic funds |
| Photos |
Click here |
|
North and South End Zone Expansion, Jumbotron (2000) |
| Scope |
Add 3400 more seats to the metal bleachers in the North end zone; increase
South end zone bleacher seating; add video scoreboard in North end zone |
| Details |
- North end zone expanded by adding approx. 10 more rows of seats to the existing seats, and "winging" in the left and right sides of the bleachers to within five feet of the East and West stands.
- video scoreboard in North end zone, added to the top of the metal bleachers.
- replace existing South end zone bleachers (previous seating 1672) with a new set of "temporary" bleachers that will seat approximately 3268.
- Lane Stadium capacity for 2000 season is stated as 55,075.
|
| Cost |
$3 million |
| Funding |
Donations/athletic funds |
| Photos |
Click here |
|
North End Zone Expansion (1999) |
| Scope |
Add 2100 seats (29 rows) of metal bleachers to North end zone. |
| Details |
- finish sealing stands and replacing wooden bleacher seats.
- power-wash and repaint the exterior of the stadium.
- heat bathrooms to avoid yearly "winterizing" costs.
|
| Cost |
$500,000 |
| Funding |
Donations/athletic funds |
| Photos |
Click here |
TSL's Lane Stadium Expansion Page
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|
