No completion date in the article, but Auburn is about to start work on a $60 million facility:
Allen Greene: Auburn is 'full-steam ahead' on football facility
Allen Greene: Auburn is 'full-steam ahead' on football facility
AUBURN, Alabama — The novel coronavirus has slowed the country to a crawl, but it apparently has not affected Auburn athletics' construction projects.
Auburn's plans for building a football performance center priced at more than $60 million is "full-steam ahead," Auburn athletics director Allen Greene said Friday, though the timeline could change as the virus continues to delay sports, workers and every-day life.
Progress on the football facility, which has long been discussed, could make a big turn in the next two weeks. Auburn is expected to make a final decision on the location of the facility by the end of March, Greene said Friday. Other construction projects, including upgrades with baseball and softball, continue, Greene said, but that could change, too.
"Well, as of right now, there's no change in the timeline," Greene said. "If we defer to our university position on capital projects, they're still moving forward. Again, things change so rapidly that it's hard to tell what tomorrow's going to bring. But we'll continue to press forward as long as we're able to."
Auburn has raised at least $31.5 million in gifts and commitments for the football performance center, including $10 million committed by Walt and Ginger Woltosz in November. The donation is the largest on Auburn athletics history.
Auburn received approval in the fall to hire Goodwyn, Mills, Cawood of Montgomery and HOK Architects of Kansas City, Missouri to “consult in the development of the facility program and project design,” according to a document obtained by Auburn247.
The initiation was limited to “project planning and design development to the schematic design phase until such time as the program requirements, budget, funding plan and site are approved” by the board of trustees.
Auburn is referring to the building as a “football performance center” and would house only the football program, which would include locker rooms and meeting spaces for coaches, analysts, administrators and players.
The athletics department was provided approval from the board of trustees to pursue the construction of the football facility at a regularly-scheduled board of trustees meeting Sept. 13. The facility became a priority less than one week after then-university president Steven Leath said the facility would not be discussed at an upcoming board meeting in the spring. A week later, the board instructed Leath to fast-track the facility and form a committee to explore construction possibilities.
Leath later resigned as president, just two years into his tenure. Former Auburn University president Jay Gogue returned in the interim.
Auburn sought feedback from 10 architectural firms. Four firms were interviewed as finalists for the project, with Auburn’s athletics department ultimately selecting the firms out of Montgomery and Kansas City.
In June a 10-person working group was formed to explore the options of a football performance center, and the benefits associated with repurposing existing football space to better serve the entire student-athlete population.
Fundraising is "well under way and off to an unprecedented start," according to Auburn's athletics department.
“We are grateful for those who have stepped up in support of our vision of a state-of-the-art football performance center,” Auburn athletics director Allen Greene said in September. “Moving forward, we are confident the Auburn Family will continue to respond to make this project a reality.”
Dan King, associate vice president of facilities at Auburn University, and Greene presented plans for the football performance center to the property and facilities committee Sept. 13. Greene made the football facility a priority shortly after his arrival as athletics director in February 2018.
reene hopes to make Auburn's facility much different on the inside compared to other facilities recently opened at Clemson and South Carolina.
"We have thought about what would be in it," Greene said Sept. 13. "So four walls are four walls, but I think paying particular attention about the details of what's inside and the functionality will set our facility apart from others. We don't have any firm concepts — sorry, we don't have any firm designs — but we've got some concepts in terms of technology that may be able to rival some others."
Malzahn pledged $2 million toward the facility in September 2018, and several notable alumni have also promised sizable donations, Auburn Undercover has learned.
Greene told Auburn Undercover in February he expected the timeline for the facility — from the design phase to its grand opening — to be completed in three years or less should the board approve all of the necessary steps along the way. Should that happen, Auburn will begin the largest construction project for the athletics department since Auburn Arena opened its doors in 2010. The basketball arena cost $86 million.
The design phase for the football facility should encompass one year, and construction will require an additional year. Administrators in the athletics department grew increasingly confident in March and April as fundraising efforts ramped up under Greene, sources told Auburn Undercover at the time (
March 27 and
April 24).
It’s not clear if a location for the facility has been finalized, but the most likely spot appears to be near the corner of Biggio Drive and Samford Avenue, where the old outdoor track is located on campus. The piece of land is in the heart of the athletics hub of the university. Only Biggio Drive separates the old track from the football practice facilities attached to the Auburn Athletics Complex.
The first thing I thought of when watching that presentation was the Boats and Hoes presentation by Step Brothers.
