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Northwestern - new stadium, 35k seats, already own the land: will cost over $800 million

MarshallGoldberg

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Oct 23, 2017
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/busi...0220929-uaxljauxb5g27duqpexpcbfksq-story.html

They had a $6 billion fund raising drive though so they claim they will need no public spending. One donor gave half a billion. It will be at the current location but with a reduced footprint and 12,000 less seats. They still need approval from the town of Evanston.

So I stand by my $1 billion for a 45,000 seat Pitt stadium estimate if it included any modern amenities and was made in this construction environment.

TBF, the Northwestern estimate includes demo of the current stadium and composite construction costs are slightly higher there on average (less of a gap than you'd think though) -- but it's also entirely possible a new Pitt Stadium would also include either demolition and/or expensive topographic challenges and this inflation wave may last another several years, so our final cost could theoretically go higher than that as well.
 
Already a thread about this, but San Diego State just built a 35,000 seat stadium for $300 million.

The cost of HF adjusted for inflation would still be $300 million less than the proposed Northwestern stadium. They are overpaying by a huge margin (even with inflated construction costs).

The fact is that we don't know how much it would cost to build a stadium in Oakland, in large part because Pitt doesn't want to build one, has not looked into the cost of building one, and has not attempted to acquire land for one over the last 20 years when it was much cheaper for the purpose of a new stadium.
 
Already a thread about this, but San Diego State just built a 35,000 seat stadium for $300 million.

The cost of HF adjusted for inflation would still be $300 million less than the proposed Northwestern stadium. They are overpaying by a huge margin (even with inflated construction costs).

The fact is that we don't know how much it would cost to build a stadium in Oakland, in large part because Pitt doesn't want to build one, has not looked into the cost of building one, and has not attempted to acquire land for one over the last 20 years when it was much cheaper for the purpose of a new stadium.
Maybe people brought up these points on the other thread but San Diego State number does not include the $88 million purchase of the land from the city or the economy of scale that it was part of a large $3-4 billion project in the area with a flex labor agreement (and that it broke ground in 2020.) It's also smaller than I imagine anyone would want here and pretty spartan
 
Already a thread about this, but San Diego State just built a 35,000 seat stadium for $300 million.

The cost of HF adjusted for inflation would still be $300 million less than the proposed Northwestern stadium. They are overpaying by a huge margin.

The fact is that we don't know how much if would cost to build a stadium in Oakland, in large part because Pitt doesn't want to build one, has not looked into the cost of building one, and has not attempted to acquire land for one over the last 20 years when it was much cheaper for the purpose of a new stadium.
They aren’t necessarily overpaying. Construction costs have just outpaced inflation. Projects that were priced out and financed before the pandemic do not cost the same amount now (and it’s important to note that the San Diego stadium cost $310M, but that the university also paid $88M for the land that the stadium sat on). The University is spending over $3.5B at the site.
 
Maybe people brought up these points on the other thread but San Diego State number does not include the $88 million purchase of the land from the city or the economy of scale that it was part of a large $3-4 billion project in the area with a flex labor agreement (and that it broke ground in 2020.) It's also smaller than I imagine anyone would want here and pretty spartan
He ignores contrary evidence but I appreciate the info
 
I mean, isn't Pitt planning to spend over a billion on their athletic facility projects? It's not like they couldn't achieve the economy of scale price, considering

But this goes to show that they should have built a reasonably small on campus stadium 20 years ago for $150 million. Then we'd be looking at adding modern amenities now for an additional $100 million, instead of having no place for it and having to pay that amount just for land acquisition.
 
I mean, isn't Pitt planning to spend over a billion on their athletic facility projects? It's not like they couldn't achieve the economy of scale price, considering

But this goes to show that they should have built a reasonably small on campus stadium 20 years ago for $150 million. Then we'd be looking at adding modern amenities now for an additional $100 million, instead of having no place for it and having to pay that amount just for land acquisition.
Except none of that was pragmatic
hint we make far more money with a lease to a stadium than we’d ever make debt financing a worse on campus stadium
and it’s not even remotely close

it’s the same reason the city league play at a community stadium - rather than individual ones by their schools
 
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https://www.chicagotribune.com/busi...0220929-uaxljauxb5g27duqpexpcbfksq-story.html

They had a $6 billion fund raising drive though so they claim they will need no public spending. One donor gave half a billion. It will be at the current location but with a reduced footprint and 12,000 less seats. They still need approval from the town of Evanston.

So I stand by my $1 billion for a 45,000 seat Pitt stadium estimate if it included any modern amenities and was made in this construction environment.

TBF, the Northwestern estimate includes demo of the current stadium and composite construction costs are slightly higher there on average (less of a gap than you'd think though) -- but it's also entirely possible a new Pitt Stadium would also include either demolition and/or expensive topographic challenges and this inflation wave may last another several years, so our final cost could theoretically go higher than that as well.

The only real on campus option is to go subterranean. Pitt can have tallest building of learning and the only subterranean stadium.

Price tag...$2 hundred million billion.
 
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