The Oregon Board of Higher Education has approved plans for Phil Knight — Nike chairman/co-founder and Oregon benefactor — to give yet even more money to the University of Oregon, but this time it is in the form of $5 million to improve accessibility at Autzen Stadium. @@http://www.registerguard.com/web/sports/29323888-41/stadium-autzen-million-improvements-knight.html.csp@@
With the Board’s approval on Friday, Jan. 18, Autzen Stadium will be handed over to “Phit Too, LLC” and gifted back to the University of Oregon. Phit Too, LLC, is Phil Knight’s personal contracting company that he uses for all capital construction projects. The same process was used for the Jaqua Center and the renovations to the football operations building at the Casanova Center.
The updates will help foot traffic on the north side of the stadium, often known to be a stop-and-go debacle during the post-game rush to the parking lot.
The Board’s finance and administration committee submitted its recommendation for the project to be approved by the full Board. The recommendation included the terms, legal notes, timeline and description of the agreement between the UO and Phit Too, LLC.
“The project consists of the removal of existing ramps on the North face of the stadium berm, regrading of a portion of the berm and replacement with a series of ramps that meet current (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements,” the recommendation states. “In addition, a series of stairs and paths will be added to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of fans and patrons up and down the North berm.”
This means that fans, young and old, able-bodied or otherwise, will not have to walk up such a steep hill to get to their seats in the north sections. Once the north face is rebuilt and paved for easier access, Phit plans to re-landscape the area to include an assortment of plants and trees to improve the aesthetic as well as accessibility.
Work will begin this spring and is expected to culminate before the first home game of the 2013 season. The agreement requires that the two sides meet to discuss the details of the project by no later than April 15, 2013. If the two sides don’t reach a firm agreement before May 15, the agreement may be suspended or terminated by Phit resulting in the UO being forced to reimburse Phit for “direct costs up to $25,000.”
The Register-Guard’s Mark Johnson reports that the updates will cost double what it took to complete Autzen Stadium in 1967 when the fee was just $2.5 million. The stadium received a $90 million facelift in 2002 that added 12,000 more seats and 32 skyboxes to reach a grand total of 54,000 seats, not counting standing room capacity.