Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month.
Ravens Renovation
The NFL’s Baltimore Ravens have unveiled a multiphase, three-year plan to upgrade M&T Bank Stadium. The projects aim to boost the fan experience and modernize the team’s 25-year-old home stadium. Featuring both in-season and off-season work starting in 2024, all phases of renovation are expected to wrap up by the start of the 2026 football season.
Organization: Baltimore Ravens and Maryland Stadium Authority
Location: Baltimore, Md.
Type of project: Renovation
Size: Stadium totals 1.6 million square feet
Estimated cost: Reportedly $430 million
Design-build team: Gensler and Gilbane Building Co.
Status: Announced Dec. 12
Expected completion: 2026
Interesting tidbit: Serving as the Grand Entrance to M&T Bank Stadium, the revitalized North Plaza will feature two large structures flanking the gates. One structure will include an open-air tailgate and concert venue and an indoor sports bar, which will serve as the stadium’s premier pre-game destination. Another major project is an upper concourse expansion, with over 12,000 square feet of space added across three locations and an increase in restroom capacity. Other upgrades include Ravens retail locations and VIP suites and club areas.
Quote: Ravens President Sashi Brown said, “This renovation program positions M&T Bank Stadium as a venue that will continue to provide Ravens fans with one of the best gameday experiences in all of sports, while also attracting world-class concerts and other live events to Maryland.”
More details available here.
New Police Academy
“Mahoney!” Is it even possible to hear the term “police academy” without thinking of the classic ’80s comedies? Nonetheless, it’s obvious the folks in Pennsylvania take their police training seriously, as officials kicked off a $300 million project to fully modernize the Pennsylvania State Police Academy and build new facilities on campus.
Organization: Pennsylvania State Police (PSP)
Location: Hershey, Pa.
Type of project: Renovation/new build
Size: 366,000 square feet
Estimated cost: $300 million
Design-build team: Wohlsen Construction Co., Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, et al.
Status: Ground broken Dec. 18
Expected completion: 2028
Interesting tidbit: The modernization project replaces outdated infrastructure with state-of-the-art facilities, representing the most comprehensive update to the academy since it opened in 1960. Multiple new buildings totaling 366,000 square feet are proposed for the 146-acre site, including a five-story Marquee Building with modern classrooms and administrative offices, 300 individual cadet dormitories, a 500-seat auditorium, and a spacious cafeteria. The existing academy will remain operational throughout construction, and the project includes demolition of several structures.
Quote: PSP Commissioner Colonel Christopher L. Paris said, “Updated facilities and amenities are long overdue here at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy, the nation’s premier law enforcement training facility. The new academy will support the highest level of instruction for cadets, troopers, and our law enforcement partners.”
More details available here.
Sam’s Club Combo
Sam’s Club, the retail warehouse club owned by Walmart, made a couple of facility-related announcements over the past month. First, the company announced it will build two new distribution centers outside St. Louis and Minneapolis as part of its multi-year growth plan to boost its supply chain. Second, Sam’s Club revealed plans to reopen one of its Texas club locations that shuttered after getting hit by a tornado in 2022.
Organization: Sam’s Club
Location: Centers in Edwardsville, Ill., and Shakopee, Minn.; club in Grapevine, Texas
Type of project: New builds and renovation
Size: Both centers around 370,000 square-foot; club N/A
Estimated cost: N/A
Status: Plans announced
Expected completion: 2024
Interesting tidbit: Just two weeks before Christmas in December 2022, an EF-1 tornado touched down in Grapevine, Texas. The storm damaged several commercial buildings, including Sam’s Club, resulting in the closing of its doors. Following extensive renovations, the club is slated to reopen in late 2024. According to FEMA, up to 40% of businesses never reopen after a natural disaster.
Quote: Lance de la Rosa, EVP and COO at Sam’s Club, said, “We are thrilled to announce the reopening and revitalization of our Grapevine location and are excited for the opportunity to directly serve the Grapevine community again.”
More details available here and here.
Affordable Student Housing
Project partners have broken ground on the North District Phase 2 Student Housing Development at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). This intersegmental project, one of the first of its kind in California, will provide affordable living to students from both UCR and the Riverside Community College District (RCCD). Located on UCR’s main campus, the project will include 429 modern apartment-style units ranging from one to four bedrooms.
Organizations: University of California, Riverside; and Riverside Community College District
Location: Riverside, Calif.
Type of project: New build
Size: 24,000 square feet
Estimated cost: $285 million
Construction team: McCarthy Building Cos. Inc.
Status: Ground broken Dec. 7
Expected completion: 2025
Interesting tidbit: The recent surge in enrollment at UCR and RCCD colleges has created a substantial disparity between housing demand and available options. Students have been compelled to explore off-campus housing alternatives, which may not always be safe or convenient. Notably, this project also received funding through the State Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program to provide more affordable beds for students.
Quote: RCCD Chancellor Wolde-Ab Isaac said, “My hope is this unique partnership and innovative approach will serve as a model for others to emulate around the state.”
More details available here.
World-Leading Special Olympics Facility
Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) is busy building what the nonprofit says will be the world’s largest inclusive sports facility. The project is transforming an old high school into the Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports & Inclusion Center. With renovations more than halfway complete inside the building, SOMI recently broke ground on Phase 2, the outdoor sports complex on the 17-acre campus.
Organization: Special Olympics Michigan
Location: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Type of project: Renovation
Size: 17-acre property
Estimated cost: N/A
Status: Ground broken Nov. 14 on Phase 2
Expected completion: End of 2024
Interesting tidbit: In 2019, SOMI’s board of directors bought the former South Christian High School building with the dream of turning the 127,000 square-foot facility into the world’s largest Special Olympics training and sports center. The start of Phase 2 means the dream is another step closer to fruition. The campus’ outdoor complex will include an eight-lane collegiate-level track, five natural grass soccer fields, three pickleball courts, a putting/chipping green, 10 bocce ball courts, an athlete promenade, and an outdoor plaza.
Quote: SOMI President & CEO Tim Hileman said, “It has been incredible to see this facility take shape. From the beginning, our team set out with a plan to create a model of collaboration and an inclusive environment to support persons with disabilities.”
More details available here.
Honorable Mentions
- Net-Zero Elementary School
- NSA Training Center
- $10B Semiconductor Partnership
- Solar-Powered Soccer Arena
- Carnegie Mellon Robotics Innovation Center
Do you have a major project announcement you’d like considered for the “Under Construction” series? Please contact Editor Joe Bebon at JBebon@BLR.com.