DEMOLITION CONTINUES, AS DOES NEW BUILD
Final parts of old stadium gone by the end of March
Most San Diegans paying attention to the SDSU Mission Valley site have been drawn to the rapid disappearance of San Diego Stadium. It has triggered many memories of the 54year-old stadium. By the end of March, expect the stadium site to be leveled.
Attention then will be focused on the Aztec Stadium rising to the northwest of the property that is now just 18 months from its scheduled debut. up:A few notes and observations from what’s coming down and what’s going
San Diego Stadium
There were 15 sections of the stadium remaining, as well as the scoreboard, during observations for the UT’s February update.
There are now eight sections remaining and the scoreboard has been reduced to a frame of its former self.
The main portion of the scoreboard came down on Thursday with a boom that created a dust cloud that, as with other sections of the stadium,
was watered down to reduce airborne debris.
“We’ve got to a point where it’s going to slow down a little bit because we’re working on some underground spaces,” Derek Grice, SDSU’s executive associate athletic director for Mission Valley development, said in a recent Zoom call. “We look to see it down all the way to the Plaza Level by late March, early April.
“You’ll start to see the scoreboard still remain up because of the tunnel access below it. That will probably come down at the end of March.
“We should be done, including removing the structural foundational piles of the old stadium by the end of summer.”
The project’s environmental impact report indicates that demolition was originally scheduled to begin in January 2022.
That changed in September when it was determined that no more events would be scheduled at the stadium.
The early demo will provide elbow room for construction in the southeast corner of the new stadium, an area crowded by the northwest corner of the old stadium.
The early demo also allows access to utilities located underneath the old stadium.
And what will become of the old stadium site?
Ultimately, it will be where some of the campus office/research and innovation/retail buildings are located as well as some of the 4,900 residential units to be built on the eastern half of the 166-acre site.
In the short term, it will serve as surface parking for those going to games at Aztec Stadium.
“We’ll grade out the site,” Grice said. “There might be some plots that are being set aside or that will be developed as residential retail spaces (when the stadium opens).”
Grice estimated that 7,000 parking spaces will be available when the new stadium opens.
Aztec Stadium
Grice noted a milestone last week when the first concrete pour was done on the east side of the stadium. They poured a structural beam, paving the way to pour actual “stadia” as he likes to say.
“We’ve been very fortunate,” Grice said. “With a really dry February, we’ve had an opportunity to really stay on schedule.”
Grice said on the stadium’s west (home) side pours already have begun on the elevated deck above the field level. Pouring of foundation field walls began in mid-February and progress there will continue as well.
“You’ll start to see the stadium come through on the north and east side March through May,” Grice said, “then we’ll get into June and July you’ll start to see the south and the west come on board.
“Then when we get into April, you’ll start to see structural steel happen.”
This and that
A couple of other tidbits:
It was reported recently that concerts may not be expected until May of 2023. Grice expanded on that:
“We will do everything we can to put a concert in there earlier, but outdoor concert seasons run usually May through September and when we open in September 2022, it will be the tail end of outdoor concert season.
“One beautiful thing about San Diego is we have an opportunity to do concerts outside of that window because of our weather.”
A request was made to bring the Eagles to the facility.
“I’ll add that to the list,” Grice said.
Some of the areas along the river park on the south portion of the property could be inviting for tailgaters, but they likely will have to wait a year for the opportunity.
The trolley station is expected to be available for fans when the stadium makes its debut, however.
“The river park will be kind of lagging a little bit behind the opening of the stadium,” Grice said, “but the trolley plaza that’s getting some updates will be open.
“You’ll start to see streets and infrastructure for the overall site. Come 2023, start of football season, you’ll probably start to see some of those other areas really opening up.”
The old stadium will be gone, but not forgotten. Some artifacts will be incorporated into Aztec Stadium.
“Our plan is to do some of those things inside the new stadium to pay homage to a place that meant so much to a lot of people here in San Diego as we’re working to create a new environment to create new memories,” Grice said. “We’re working with a local graphics artist on what we like to call ‘Easter eggs’ that we’ll be putting in the stadium that people will have an opportunity to connect with.
“I don’t want to give away too much yet as we’re still in development, but we have a few tricks up our sleeve.”
Some fans have inquired about seeing an SDSU logo placed at midfield.
“We looked at it,” Grice said. “The problem is we’ve got to move some equipment through that space. As much as I love the idea ... It was something that we looked at and just don’t want to stop progress.”