Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

2/2/2012 at 6:22pm

Arkansas now plans to spend an estimated $40.31 million for its football operations center.

Why an increase from the $35-million estimate when the facility and accompanying parking lot were proposed in 2009? Well, the Board of Trustees approved on Thursday a "revised Capital Project Proposal" for the center with the addition of an elevated parking lot.

Wait. What? The addition of a parking lot? Wasn't that already included in the price tag?

Yes, but ... apparently, the parking had at some point been scrapped from the project to save money. Now it's back in the plans, along with money for "additional site work." It's the site work (drainage, plumbing and such) that seems like the real culprit here in the cost increase.

Arkansas breaks down the cost like so:

•$28.86 million for the football center
•$8.96 million for the practice fields
•$2.49 million for the additional site work

Arkansas still plans to use a $10 million grant from the Reynolds Foundation, money raised from the RSVP seat licensing program, private gifts and $25 million in bonds to pay for the project.

Estimated completion time for the parking lot is Fall 2012. And the football center is set to open in spring/summer 2013.

But we all know how estimates go with construction projects, right? (Feel free to laugh or cry if you've ever felt the impact of a fluctuating estimate on a home improvement project.)

Below is a roundup of football ops facility stories from ArkansasSports360.com and Arkansas Business.

Razorbacks Break Ground On Football Operations Center (Nov. 4, 2011)

Arkansas Set To Unveil Facilities Master Plan, Some Ideas Of What Might Be Included (Oct. 17, 2011)

Razorback Football Operations Center Progress Becoming More Apparent (May 29, 2011)

$35M Football Center Requires Time, Planning For Arkansas Administration, Petrino (May 31, 2011)

Long Says '$10 Million' More Sought For Razorback Operations Project (March 5, 2011)

UA Board Grants Initial OK For Football Center Bond Issue (Jan. 28, 2011)

Arkansas Seeking Board of Trustees Approval for Football Facility Funding (Jan. 22, 2011)

[Slideshow] A Peek At What Arkansas' Football Operations Facility Might Look Like (Jan. 19, 2011)

University of Arkansas Football Center Could Be Completed by Early 2013 (Dec. 6, 2010)

[Updated] [Gallery] A Look at Renderings for the Proposed University of Arkansas Football Center (Oct. 27, 2010)

Razorback Football Has a Leg Up With Renderings in the Works (Feb. 22, 2010)

Razorbacks Working on Infrastructure Road Map (Feb. 22, 2010)

Arkansas Soliciting Proposals for Athletic Facilities Upgrades (Nov. 4, 2009)

Tagged: Jeff Long, Bobby Petrino, Arkansas Razorbacks