FAU sets sights on complex,domed stadium

MeanGreen61 · July 27, 2005

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/con...udome_0726.html

FAU sets sights on complex, domed stadium

By Marcus Nelson

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Imagine a domed stadium on the Florida Atlantic University campus surrounded by retail shops, a hotel and apartments for students.

FAU President Frank Brogan can envision that project and he'd call it "Athletic Innovation Village." All the university needs is a developer to finance, build and operate the complex.

"There are some possibilities in the private sector, so we decided we'd ask the question and see how we could move forward," Brogan said Monday. "This is really testing the waters. This seems the best way to possibly put a proposal on the table to see if it is reasonable. At some point we have to determine the bottom line."

In return for building and operating the complex, including a 40,000-seat domed stadium, developers would receive nearly all the revenue except money generated by school-related events, said FAU Athletic Director Craig Angelos. The university would reduce its risk from building and running the complex, get it built quickly and ask to receive all revenue in 20-30 years, Angelos said.

"From one standpoint there is no risk and no reward to the institution, but there is the prestige of having the stadium on your campus," Angelos said.

The university is accepting bids on the proposed project through Sept. 1, but no official bids have come in yet, Brogan said.

A domed stadium has been the goal of coach Howard Schnellenberger ever since he arrived in 1998 to help launch the football program. Two years ago, Brogan, Angelos and Boca Raton Mayor Steven Abrams toured the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University. A similar facility at FAU could cost nearly $100 million.

FAU has not officially explored ways to finance a stadium, but officials are first willing to consider a private owner. The school filed a Request for Proposal with the state to begin taking bids.

The stadium would be home to the football team and men's and women's basketball teams and host graduation ceremonies. FAU did not spell out requirements of retail space, but Schnellenberger is thinking big.

"It could be dormitories, retail, parking garage and a hotel" Schnellenberger said.

Each proposal must detail how the prospective developer plans to win approval of the city of Boca Raton.

"The university has to see what is feasible for them, but President Brogan has told me about that option," Abrams said of the private ownership. "If they went forward, we would work with them to understand the impact."

If no bids are received or no bids are satisfactory, the university would consider ways to build the complex, Brogan said.

"There are two ways to do it," Brogan said. "One is the old-fashioned way and that could take many years. And at the end of the day, that may be what we have to do."

NT80 · July 27, 2005

I like that they are throwing the bait out there. It's just like fishing, you never know who may bite.

good_ken · July 27, 2005

All the university needs is a developer to finance, build and operate the complex.

Well hell; it sounds like they've almost got this wrapped up.

greenjoe · July 27, 2005

That's all we need as well. It's like we're twins.

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PlummMeanGreen · July 27, 2005

I like that they are throwing the bait out there. It's just like fishing, you never know who may bite.

NT80, I've heard that thats the way some Big Donors have surfaced in other camps, too. I am more than content that we have more NT officials looking for that BD than anytime probably in the history of our school.

And I defer to Coach Darrell Dickey's quote (and I liberally paraphrase): "NORTH TEXAS has always accomplished anything it has set out to do."

GMG!

PS: As far as FAU is concerned, is it practical to construct a domed stadium in hurricane alley?

Edited July 27, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen