Construction on Florida A&M University‘s Bragg Memorial Stadium is going very well! Get more information in the story from Tarah Jean at the Tallahassee Democrat below.
Florida A&M University has been moving at a steady pace since the start of the Bragg Memorial Stadium renovations, which began in February 2021.
FAMU received $10 million in 2020 from the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency to renovate the stadium. Of that amount, nearly $4 million was used last year to complete the east side renovations during Phase I of the project, leaving about $6 million for the Phase II renovations currently underway on the west side.
Phase II is divided into two stages of construction.
FAMU’s Board of Trustees held a construction oversight meeting on May 12 to discuss the status and Phase 2 — the current phase of the construction work — which has a budget of $8 million after the university added $2 million to the original $6 million remaining in the budget.
Although restroom and concession stand renovations at the stadium have been a recurring concern, they are not a part of the project. The university plans on making those repairs to address ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements once funding is in place, according to Rebecca Brown, interim chief financial officer and vice president for finance and administration, during a presentation to the 220 Quarterback Club.
Despite losing some work days due to weather, the university is about a week ahead of schedule with the project.
“We did a walkthrough yesterday on the site, and I was excited to see that everything was shipped and is being installed,” Brown said during the meeting.
It is estimated that up to 3,000 seats have been lost on the west side of the stadium because of the work being done, but the university says that there will still be ample seating for everyone.
Currently, about 40% of the construction work is complete. The project’s contractor, Allstate Construction, is working on wrapping up Phase 2a by the university’s estimated substantial completion date, which is Aug. 31.
FAMU plans to have the stadium ready in time for its first home football game against Albany State University on Sept. 10. FAMU has five home games this season.
The university is still operating within budget. Out of its $8 million budget, 96% of the amount has been contracted, as 13% went toward expenses while the remaining 83% has been set aside for contractual obligations. There is 4%, or $320,000, of the budget remaining.
Phase 2a completed project tasks:
- Demolished and modified support beams and columns
- Started cleaning, preparing and painting all existing grandstand steel
- Installed existing grandstand steel vertical columns and column top plates
- Started shipping new grandstand support structures
Phase 2a structural repairs and seating renovation schedule:
- Erect structural frame (May 3 – July 8)
- Install pans and seating (May 4 – Aug. 5)
- Fabricate and deliver press box (May 3 – Aug. 10)
- Electrical installation (July 5 – Aug. 29)
As the stadium’s press box is in the process of being built there is a minor delay in the extruded aluminum needed for the windows. It will not interrupt the completion of the project, according to Facilities Project Managers David Rosenfeld and Bodie Young.
