CSU President Comes Out In Favor Of New Stadium For Rams
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - Colorado State University's president announced on Monday he would support a new on-campus football stadium, but that he won't even pitch the idea to the school's board of governors until half the money is raised.
"I like the idea of bringing people onto our campus: alumni returning to reconnect with the place they lived and learned, fans and their families coming to the campus around the event of a football game, and students enjoying an event -- whether a concert or a commencement -- in the space they call home for a wonderful, if short, period of their lives," Tony Frank wrote in an online post on the CSU website Monday.
The total cost for the new stadium is estimated at $250 million. Raised money would come from private donations. If it were to be built it would likely be in the general vicinity of the south side of campus.
Committees studying the proposal for a new stadium to replace Hughes Stadium said earlier this year they found the existing roads can support the traffic, the noise would be dampened by the stadium construction, and the current parking situation can handle an expected 7,800 or more cars during home games.
The proposed stadium has been in the works for close to nine months. Last month, after pouring over hundreds of hours of data, an advisory council concluded a new stadium would be feasible on the campus.
Frank's announcement does not sit well with a group of residents who oppose the building of the new stadium. They say it will eventually cost taxpayers and students money.
A spokesperson for the group called SOS (Save Our Stadium) Hughes, Bob Vangermeersch, says Frank has ignored their concerns by moving forward.
"He was going to take into consideration the neighborhood. The neighbors don't want this stadium. They don't want a 124-foot-tall building in their backyard, they don't want the pollution, the parking problems, and the safety issues that are involved," Vangermeersch said.
It's still not clear what will happen with Hughes Stadium if the new stadium becomes a reality.
LINK: Read the president's letter
