A $14.5 million facelift of the area outside of Williams-Brice Stadium was approved by USC’s board of trustees Friday, among several other construction projects to be completed in the coming years.
“Each one of these is critically important to keep the momentum of USC moving forward,” university President Harris Pastides said.
The stadium project’s funding will come from $11.8 million in athletic revenue bonds, including ticket sale revenue and broadcast fees, and $2.7 million in donations and gifts, according to school officials.
The project is aimed at improving safety in the 24-acre area surrounding the stadium by removing all asphalt surfaces and replacing them with landscaped areas.
A plaza surrounding the stadium will be constructed, which is planned to reduce crowd pile-up in the area, according to university architect Derek Gruner. Access driveways and pedestrian walkways will be added, as well as perimeter sidewalks, fencing and site lighting. The ramps and stairs inside the stadium will be modified in order to increase circulation.
The northwest corner of the space will be open to construct statues, Gruner said.
The ETV building at 1101 George Rogers Blvd. will be demolished and replaced with a 12,0000 sq. ft. building that will house a game day store, ticketing operations, event staff check-in and police and command operations, according to a presentation given to trustees by the buildings and grounds committee. The current ticket office and gift shop will both move to the new building.
Additionally, a 1,200 sq. ft. restroom building will be built along the east side of the stadium.
The stadium plaza project is planned to begin after the end of the 2014 football season and will be open in time for the start of the 2015 season, Gruner said.
The board also approved a $995,000 budget request to begin renovations for the editing area and interview space in the Williams-Brice press box.
Other approvals included funding for renovations to South Tower and an $18 million renovation for Athletic Village, including track and field facility updates, an indoor soccer facility and a plan to convert the Fieldhouse that will house a year-round indoor track facility.