CSU prefers saying farewell to Hughes Stadium
Former home of Rams’ football team will be torn down, not repurposed
The massive concrete structure situated among 160 sprawling acres of grassland on the east side of Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins has been quiet for months. No power. No water. Just a few security guards to help keep the place empty.
The former home of Colorado State football is essentially a ghost town. But soon, Hughes Stadium will become even more of a distant memory. The CSU System Board of Governors unanimously approved a measure Thursday for the stadium’s demolition or deconstruction, university spokesman Mike Hooker confirmed to The Denver Post, with the intention of eventually selling or leasing the property.
“I used to go party in the parking lot at Hughes when I was a student 30 years ago,” said Kathy Graves, a longtime Fort Collins resident and CSU football seasonticket holder. “It’s hard sometimes to change.”
But why not repurpose the stadium for another use?
CSU executive vice chancellor Amy Parsons helped lead the university’s outreach efforts in identifying potential plans for the stadium and its surrounding land after CSU moved into its new oncampus stadium this year. Parsons met with about 200 neighbors near Overland Trail in west Fort Collins to discuss ideas, according to the Fort Collins Coloradoan, and another event is planned for Oct. 18 with a broader community focus.
The potential for Hughes Stadi-
um’s conversion to another type of sports or concert venue makes sense because of its 32,500 seats and amenities that have supported sellout crowds. But upon closer examination, bringing the stadium up to code would require tens of millions of dollars.
“All the problems that we identified out there as it relates to deferred maintenance, they still all exist,” CSU athletic director Joe Parker told The Denver Post in August. “They could operate it to some extent for a while, but there was concrete subsidence and major construction failure that had to be addressed with all the systems it takes to operate a building of that size and scope.
“Those don’t go away if anyone wanted to repurpose it for a concert venue. It’s not like they can do a few modifications and go for the next 40 years.”
Upon the recommendation of CSU’s outside consulting firm, ICON Venue Group, university leadership chose demolition or deconstruction over rehabilitation to more easily attract potential developers that don’t want to take on the stadium’s financial burden.
Demolition or deconstruction is expected to take nine to 14 months and cost $4 million to $6 million. It’s unclear how much money CSU expects to receive for the sale or lease of the property. The type of project — residential, commercial, public outdoor park space, etc. — probably will dictate the price when CSU expects to enter negotiations with potential suitors starting in the spring.
Hughes Stadium was the home of CSU football for 49 seasons; the Rams played on campus at Durkee Field (1899-1911) and at Colorado Field (1912-67). While the sadness of seeing Hughes become rubble will sting for a while, history says the Rams now are right where they belong — back on campus.
“We’re just kind of reconnecting with what predominately was our past,” Parker said.
«FROM 1B