Stadium remodel OK’d:

Fourth level will open facility up for use 365 days a year

Arizona State University has received the go-ahead for the final phase of Sun Devil Stadium’s renovation, which will add a fourth level to open the facility for use 365 days a year. The latest price tag of $307 million will add a building that can be used for meetings.

Arizona State University has received the go-ahead for the final phase of Sun Devil Stadium’s renovation that will add a fourth level on the east side to open the facility for use 365 days a year.

The latest price tag of $307 million will add a building that can be used for meetings and conferences on the fourth level.

ASU President Michael Crow told the Arizona Board of Regents this week he envisions a renovated stadium that can host events, such as corporate meetings, for as few as 50 people to as many as 50,000.

“We’re viewing this as a dramatic shift in the capacity of the university to engage the broader community,” he said.

The regents, who oversee the universities, on Thursday approved an additional $38.9 million for the stadium renovation, bringing the total price tag to more than $300 million and pushing the completion date to June 2019.

Officials originally wanted to finish the renovation before the 2018 football season.

The additional funds will cover the fourth-level building, which wasn’t in the original plans. Increases also are anticipated in materials and labor as hurricane damage in Texas and Florida affects the national construction market, ASU Chief Financial Officer Morgan Olsen said.

Tuition and taxpayer money are not paying for the renovation.

The cash is coming from private donations, the ASU athletics facilities district, tickets and sponsorships.

ASU estimates that nearly $95 million of the $307 million price tag will come from donations, of which $80 million already is pledged.

Renovations on the stadium, which has hosted ASU football games since 1958, were originally projected to cost $225 million. But then ASU officials added a 118,669square-foot student athletic building to the plans, boosting the price tag to $256 million.

Last year, unforeseen site conditions and an accelerated construction schedule to avoid overlapping with the 2016 football schedule pushed costs to $268 million.

Renovations began after the 2014 football season and have happened in phases to avoid moving football games to another venue.

The first two phases included rebuilding the south end zone to create a continuous concrete lower bowl and adding highend clubs and suites. A giant, 47-foot-by-113-foot video board was added this year.

Phase three will include connecting the main concourse with the south end zone.

Premium seating will be added, along with expanded restrooms. Infrastructure improvements to water, electrical and mechanical systems also will be done.

The regents’ vote on Thursday gives ASU officials the authority to to sign construction contracts and begin the third and final phase of construction.

The last phase won’t begin until December after the football season ends. It has a targeted completion date of June 2019.

“After the season ends, the following Monday we’ll come right back in and start phase three to keep things going,” ASU’s Olsen said.