Populous Named Designer For Beaver Stadium Renovation

The multi-year, multi-phase $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium on the campus of Penn State University has an architect. Populous, also the architect on the recently started new venue for the Buffalo Bills, was named as the lead designer on a project that will bring the home venue for the Nittany Lions up to speed on backlogged maintenance while providing updated fan experiences.

“Our team will work hand-in-hand with the university to design and bring to life the spirit and tradition of Penn State,” says Scott Radecic, senior principal and founder at Populous, “while setting up Beaver Stadium to continue to serve fans for the years to come.”

The phased approach to the stadium upgrade will kick off with an initial construction approach focusing on improving safety and security, updating field lighting performance and adding winterization.

In spring, the Penn State Board of Trustees Committee on Finance, Business and Capital Planning approved $70 million to complete the first stage of the Beaver Stadium renovation, which included the architectural and design development along with priority maintenance projects.

The total project is expected to run four years at a cost of $700 million, financed and paid for entirely by Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics, using no tuition dollars or educational budget funds.

Neeli Bendapudi, Penn State president, says he’s happy that after years of study and analysis the renovations will get underway and keep the school competitive on the national stage. “We have one of only a handful of self-sustaining intercollegiate athletics departments in the country,” he says, “which means that this project can move forward, distinctly, without using the university’s overall budget, tuition dollars, student fees or the critical resources available in support of our educational and research missions.”

With a backlog of more than $200 million of deferred maintenance, the first stage of renovations, expected to be completed by summer 2024, includes winterizing pipes and other upgrades to allow building use when temperatures are below freezing. This is a direct response to the College Football Playoff expansion and the potential for Penn State to host games during winter.

The preliminary plan for the full project involves a complete reconstruction of the west side of the stadium, which will maintain a traditional bowl-style seating while adding club and loge seats, as well as executive and founder’s suites.

Additional renovations anticipated throughout the facility include ongoing code upgrades, accessibility improvements and upgraded fan amenities. Penn State expects to improve fan circulation to east spectator congestion throughout the stadium, upgraded restrooms, concessions, Wi-Fi and provide additional seating options.

Patrick Kraft, vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics says that with passionate fans, the school was to design the renovation to “provide them with an even better experience than the nation-leading game day environment we have now.” Still, he says to expect that even with the upgrades, the site will remain “true to the traditions of Penn State football and Beaver Stadium.”

The project’s construction manager is a joint venture of Barton Malow, AECOM Hunt and Alexander. “To renovate Beaver Stadium is a passion project for many of us,” says Scott Mull, project executive at Barton Malow and Penn State alum. “Our team is eager to deliver a revitalized facility with fan-facing innovation and premium amenities while still honoring and preserving the legacy and traditions of Penn State football.”

Beaver Stadium has stood at the corner of Porter Road and Park Avenue since 1960. Before that there were two separate locations for differing Beaver Fields. The Old Beaver Field sat 500 fans in 1893, but by 1909 it was dated. A new Beaver Field took shape where the Kern Building and the Nittany Parking Deck are today. Originally made of wood, it was rebuilt with steel in 1936.

After the 1959 season, New Beaver Field was dismantled and the 700 pieces were moved a mile and a half to its current site, where it was reassembled beneath a new superstructure and continued to honor a former Pennsylvania governor, James Beaver, with the name Beaver Stadium. In 1960 it featured 46,284 seats.

The stadium has more than doubled in size since, now one of the largest in the country at 106,500 seats. The most recent major renovation in 2001 added 60 skyboxes in a three-level structure above the east stands.

Major construction is slated to begin January 2025 and wrap in time for the 2027 college football season.