As the Crimson Tide took to the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium this past weekend, employees at Caddell Construction were busy too — laying out their plan for the University of Alabama’s stadium renovation and addition, a project totaling $84.6 million.
While the construction work won’t start until the final whistle blows on the 2019 football season, the preconstruction activities already have begun.
The project includes stadium improvements designed to enhance the fan and student experience, with additional premium seating, new social spaces, adding elevators to the upper levels and replacing existing scoreboards with four video scoreboards that are 60 percent larger.
“Fast-tracking will be absolutely critical for project success,” says Caddell Executive Vice President Mac Caddell. “In fact, there’s not one part of this project that won’t be fast. It’s a fast-paced job, and we’re excited to tackle it.”
Once the final whistle blows, demolition will begin. Construction will take place in five different areas around the stadium and in the middle of the active college campus. All of the project is scheduled to be complete before the football season kickoff in 2020.
“Our people thrive on the challenges presented by this project. We have assembled an outstanding team of construction professionals to undertake this endeavor, and I am confident they will be successful,” says Caddell President and CEO Eddie Stewart.
The stadium was originally built in 1929 as Denny Stadium, named after UA President George Denny, who started his tenure at the university in 1912, kicking off an era of growth in both students and buildings on campus. It was renamed Bryant-Denny Stadium in 1975, after legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Since 1937, the stadium has been expanded eight times and has a current seating capacity of 101,821, ranking it seventh on the list of American football stadiums based on seating capacity.