Ryan ChartrandAlthough Cal Poly expected the Alex G. Spanos Stadium to be completed by Sept. 2 for the first football game, officials confirmed that renovations to the stadium will be delayed until further notice.
Progress on the west bleachers near California Boulevard, an estimated $21.5 million project, was held back due to heavy rain throughout the winter, but officials promise that the construction efforts have increased substantially since then.
“The contractor is working six-day weeks (and) a considerable amount of overtime,” the project manager, Perry Judd said. “The building itself is not quite there.”
Judd said many of the parties involved in the project met on July 1 to discuss the progress and determined it would not be complete in time for the Sept. 2 football game. The group will reconvene on Aug. 1 to set a precise completion date.
However, all home football games will still take place in the Spanos Stadium and Judd said the set-up will be “pretty much just like it was last year,” in which all fans sat on the east side of the stadium near the entrance.
Andy Guyader, Cal Poly wide receivers coach, said this will have little impact on the game.
“We went undefeated last year (at home) with basically no one behind us,” he said. “We’re excited about the stadium, (but) we did pretty well with nobody on that side last year.”
“I think it’s a little more fun with people on both sides, but it’ll get there,” said Alison Cone, director of athletics. “People see it taking shape and it’s exciting.”
But upon completion, Judd said the new west side will be for Cal Poly fans and the east side will be for visitors. The west side will feature three levels, measuring 57 feet and six inches and will seat 3,700 people. The bottom two levels will consist of fold-up chairs and bench seating and will sit under the suites that comprise the third level.
Additionally, the stadium recently received new lighting, which Judd described as “neighborhood friendly.”
“It’s the newest technology in stadium lighting,” he said. “People are going to see a tremendous difference.”
Plans are also being finalized for the Memorial Plaza in dedication to the 18 Cal Poly football players who lost their lives in a plane crash on Oct. 29, 1960. Individual pillars will be constructed to the exact height of each player and will be adorned with a commemorative plaque.
“Of all the big projects I’ve been involved in.it’s probably the finest thing I’ve been involved in,” Judd said.
The plaza will be located next to the stadium and will be accessible from California Boulevard. A dedication ceremony will take place on Sept. 29.
A dedication ceremony for the stadium will occur on Oct. 21 during the homecoming game against South Dakota State, according to a Cal Poly press release. The field itself will be dedicated at the Sept. 30 game against Southern Utah.
“It’s going to be gorgeous when it’s done,” Judd said. “It’s going to be the nicest facility on the Central Coast when it’s done.”
But throughout all the talk of football, the soccer team hasn’t been quite as lucky. Soccer games will be played on the lower sports complex where a field will be fenced off, said assistant soccer coach Mark Jones.
“Obviously we’re not too happy about it,” Jones said. “We would like to get our own field.”
The first soccer game will take place on Sept. 8 against Navy.