SLIDESHOW: Fans Admire Changes as Ribbon Sliced on Stadium's New $7.3 Million Press Box
8/26/2010 at 2:55pm
The view of AT&T Field from the newly renovated press box at War Memorial Stadium.
Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe (left) sits with University of Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long at Thursday's ribbon-cutting ceremony for War Memorial Stadium's newly renovated press box.
War Memorial Stadium Commission Chairman Gary L. Smith addresses the media in front of the Gary Smith Entranceway, part of the renovations completed on the 62-year-old stadium's press box.
A hallway features lots of natural light in the newly renovated press box at War Memorial Stadium.
The newly renovated press box at War Memorial Stadium boasts a conference room for media with ample space for post-game Q&As.
The radio booth at War Memorial Stadium has been rechristnened the Paul Eells & Jim Elder Radio Booth, after the two long broadcasters who worked together for the Arkansas Razorback Sports Network.
The view from atop the newly renovated press box at War Memorial Stadium.
Even the scorching temperatures of recent weeks would not have kept away a crowd that has waited not just months, but years to see a state-of-the-art press box atop the west side of War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. As it was, city and state dignitaries and University of Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long, plus plenty of other fans, enjoyed early fall-like conditions under a bright, sunny sky to open the doors to the $7.3 million facility.
Those glass doors to the press box elevators have a name: The Gary L. Smith Entranceway, so named by the rest of Smith's Stadium Commmission members at their last meeting for their chairman's diligent efforts at improving the facility as well as securing a longer commitment of games through this decade from the Arkansas Razorbacks.
The Hogs, the stadium's chief tenant in terms of per-game attendance, are contracted to play two games at year at War Memorial Stadium through 2016. The stadium also is home to Little Rock Catholic High home games, the high school state playoff finals in six classifications, the annual Delta Classic for Literacy pitting UAPB vs. Grambling, the Salt Bowl between Benton and Bryant high schools, which last year drew the largest crowd to ever attend a high school game in Arkansas, and next week's Arkansas High School Kickoff Classic, sponsored by ArkansasSports360.com and 103.7 The Buzz. Plus, stadium executive director Charlie Staggs and crew schedule many more events on the artificial turf or on the asphalt surrounding the property throughout the year.
The new press box has four levels: a club level of more than 400 seats on the lowest floor, a skybox level and more club seating (five suites, 130 club seats) on the second floor, a media level for print, radio and TV on the third floor; and a camera level on the fourth floor. For years, fans headed to "Hog Heaven" on the first floor of the previous pressbox shared cramped space with media and camera-toting personnel on the one available elevator.
The new press box has two spacious elevators. Each level has lounges and concourse-like space with plenty of room to mingle, whether its for club-seating fans or the media. Large windows were added to the design that offer each floor a view of the War Memorial Park golf course (the tailgating area for Hog games) and points further west. The club areas were expanded by 10,000 square feet over the previous press box.
Seating prices have changed, however. Previously, fans paid $1,000 up front to secure seats in "Hog Heaven." Club seats now sell for $300 per game. Bar-stool seating is also available on the back row of the first-floor club level, for $185 per seat. Each club level and the media level has a kitchen area.
The overhang of the old press box, built in 1966, took up a couple of rows at the top of the stadium. The new construction allowed the stadium to slightly boost capacity and additional 250 seats, plus it added another 262 club seats more than "Hog Heaven" once housed. Stadium capacity is listed as 54,000. Club seats number 582. The new press box is 112 feet tall.
The university contributed $500,000 to the improvements also completed this summer to the Razorback Lettermen's Club and the "recruit room" on the northwest side of the stadium.
Smith said the stadium lacks only to refurbish two more concession stands and two bathrooms in an end zone to complete a project he's pushed since joining the commission as chairman in 2003. Smith said he would be retiring from the commission next year. In his seven years, Smith has seen more than $15 million in renovations to the stadium, which opened in 1948.
Fellow commissioner Kevin Crass read a statement on behalf of the entire commission thanking Smith for his work as they named the press box entranceway in his honor. Crass cited three major accomplishments by Smith: securing the funding for the Sturgis Plaza at the entranceway to the stadium off Fair Park; his work with the UA athletic department in moving from a paper contract of games through 2014 to a good-faith partnership that extended games to 2016 and likely more afterward; and the remodeling of the existing press box, getting it completed in nine months.
"In military terms, Gary, I think you can say, 'Mission Accomplished,' " Crass said. "I call it Miracle on Markham III." The two previous "Miracle on Markham" events refer to shocking last-minute wins over LSU by the Hogs in 2002 and 2008.
Smith, Crass says, "shows that one person with an interest and determination can make a difference in the lives of this state."
Gov. Mike Beebe said of Smith, "If you've got a job to do you better get Gary Smith to do it." Beebe also noted a growing partnership attitude that is more prevalent between people in Northwest Arkansas and Central Arkansas.
Long, thanking Smith for helping him meet influential people throughout Central Arkansas since he arrived in late 2007, said he believed in the investment in War Memorial Stadium. "The way the stadium helps [the university] to reach to the South and East has become more and more evident to me. Central Arkansas is the gateway for our program to those areas."
Kinco Constructors handled the nine-month building project. Wittenberg, Deloney and Davidson was the architectural firm. Funding was provided through state funds, money from the UA athletic department, and the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council.
The stadium replaced its artificial turf over the summer at no cost, because of a product defect. Also this summer, AT&T signed on as a sponsor of the field. AT&T is installing an entire 3G network for the stadium.
"AT&T will have its best service in America right here," Smith said.
Following the dedication, Louis Schaufele, a retired banker and Southwest Conference football official who played in the first game at War Memorial Stadium as a Razorback against Abilene Christian, cut the ribbon of the Gary L. Smith Entranceway, leading into the press box. Tours of the new press box were made available to the dignitaries and fans on hand.
Tagged: Gov. Mike Beebe, Jeff Long, Gary Smith, War Memorial Stadium
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