Arizona Contractor & Community Fall 2015 V4 I3 | Page 12

Jennifer Giralo

J

ust as it takes an entire team to achieve
victory on the field, it’s taking the same
level of teamwork to design and construct
the Arizona State University (ASU) Sun
Devil Stadium Transformation project. The
team for this project consists of multiple
players from the owner to each
subcontractor, all working in concert. The
team lineup includes ASU (owner), Gould
Evans (architect), HNTB (architect),
Hunt/Sundt (general contractor), Dibble
Engineering (civil engineer), Henderson
Engineers
(MEP
engineer),
MBJ
Engineering (structural engineer), HNTB
Structural (structural engineer), JBA
Consulting Engineers (telecom designer),
and many others.
Historically, Sun Devil Stadium has
been an iconic part of the Tempe
landscape to both natives and visitors
coming to cheer for their favorite team or
enjoy the exceptional environment of the
Valley as they fly into Arizona or drive by
on State Route 202. With the stadium
nestled between two buttes, A Mountain

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Images courtesy of Jennifer Giralo

Construction Around Arizona

ASU Stadium
Transformation: Paving
the Way for Future
Growth

and Desert Arboretum Park, it has been a
community symbol uniting visitors, local
businesses, the City of Tempe, ASU sports
teams, and students.
The transformation of Sun Devil
Stadium will invigorate the area and
strengthen the nearby existing attractions.
The City of Tempe and ASU create a
combined experience before, during, and
after game day including local restaurants,
hiking and biking in the pedestrian friendly
community, renting a boat at Tempe Town
Lake, or enjoying outdoor festivals at
Tempe Beach Park.
“When one considers the sheer
number of new restaurants, hotel rooms,

and amenities that are coming online
around Sun Devil Stadium and Tempe
Town Lake, it will increase out-of-state
spending and increase tax revenues. With
additional revenues, residents can enjoy
improved city services such as parks,
recreation programs, public safety, and
public works,” said Donna Kennedy,
economic development director for the
City of Tempe.
From a design perspective, the
stadium project comes with a lot of layers:
location of the building, history of the
facility, transforming existing systems,
preserving existing traditions within the
facility, vision of the project, sustainability,
and the overall experience for fans,
donors, season ticket holders, students,
coaches, and players. “This significant
community project expands the vision of
both ASU athletics and the “New American
University,” and we at Gould Evans are
honored to be a part of it,” said Krista
Shepherd, principal at Gould Evans
architects.
“We are proud to be on the team that
transforms this iconic stadium, ASU Sun
Devil Stadium, that is nestled between two
buttes and has been part of the valley
experience for almost 60 years,” added
Marcus Sanchez, vice president and
director of Phoenix office operations at
Henderson Engineers.
It is important to see the impact that
the Sun Devil Stadium renovations have on
the university. With this transformation,
ASU Sun Devil Stadium will place itself
among the nation’s top collegiate football
stadiums.
Fall 2015