BATON ROUGE — The sight of a steel frame emerging from the ground at the corner Nicholson Drive and Gourrier Lane indicates that the construction of the New Alex Box Stadium is moving at a steady pace. Groundbreaking on the baseball project began during the summer.
“We feel like the stadium construction is progressing very well,” said Eddie Nunez, LSU associate athletics director for operations and project development. “Rain has delayed the crews’ ability to pour concrete at times, but overall, the project has moved forward in a smooth manner.”
The new stadium — located about 200 yards south of the current site of Alex Box Stadium — will seat 8,700 fans. The stadium is expected to be completed by the fall of 2008, and LSU is scheduled to play its first game in the new facility in February 2009.
“It’s inspiring to drive into work every day and see the progress that is being made,” said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. “The new stadium certainly generates a lot of enthusiasm for our program. We’re looking forward to one more great season in the current Alex Box Stadium before moving to the new park.”
The new stadium was designed through a combined effort of Grace & Hebert Architects of Baton Rouge and DLR Group of Omaha, Neb. The contractor for the project is Buquet & LeBlanc of Baton Rouge.
The New Alex Box Stadium will provide the LSU squad with 6,000 additional square-feet of locker and meeting room space, new batting cages and all the resources necessary to field a consistent winner.
The stadium will also provide a comfortable home for LSU fans with 700 more seats under roof, 7,000 additional square-feet of restroom accommodations, 3,000 additional square-feet of concession stands, expanded ticket booths, an arcade and novelty shop, children’s playgrounds, a Hall of Fame and a Club Lounge and 19 luxury suites.
LSU fans may follow the construction phases of the stadium at www.MakeYourPitch.net, the official web site of the New Alex Box Stadium.