Microsoft PowerPoint - CP16298_StadiumSouthAddition_BOT_Step1_20161214 [Read-Only]

An artist rendering of the Spartan Stadium south end zone addition

(Courtesy of Michigan State University)

EAST LANSING -- Two years after it completed a significant addition to the north end zone of Spartan Stadium, Michigan State is planning an addition to the other end of the stadium.

An addition to the south end zone of Spartan Stadium was given initial approval on Friday morning at the university's Board of Trustee's meeting.

The addition will be a one-story structure that include new restrooms and concession stands, according to Michigan State deputy athletic director Greg Ianni. The project will also include an expanded pavilion on the south end of the stadium.

The project is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2017 football season. There is currently no specific cost for the project, but Ianni said it will be funded by the athletic department.

The expanded pavilion is being done in reaction to a report generated for the school by the Department of Homeland Security, and also to help alleviate congestion around the southeast and southwest entrances to the stadium.

Restrooms are expected to be available to tailgaters before the game, then available to fans inside the stadium during the game.

"This is about the fan experience, this is about our guests," Ianni said.

An artist rendering of the Spartan Stadium south end zone addition

The project is expected to result in the elimination of about 100 parking spaces from the lot immediately south of Spartan Stadium, but Ianni said the same number of spaces will be added to the west side of the stadium to make up for the loss.

The building will not have any impact on seating inside the stadium.

The project is part of the athletic department's Spartan Stadium master plan, which was drafted in 2005, when new suites and a new press box were added. Ianni said that plan was updated five or six years ago.

The south end zone addition is being designed so that a larger building, similar to the one at the north end of the stadium, could later be added on the site.

The project will be the second major addition to Spartan Stadium in the last three years. Michigan State opened the $24.5 million north end zone project in 2014, which includes locker rooms, media center, restrooms and entrances.

Permanent lighting will also be installed at the stadium before next season.

In addition to the south end zone project, the board also approved on Friday a renovation of the offices in Jenison Field House, specifically coaches offices and meeting rooms. Ianni said no specific cost has been set for the project but he estimates it will be in the $4-5 million range and will also come from athletic department funds.

The renovation comes as the athletic department moves its administrative members from its Jenison offices to new offices in the 1855 Place complex, on Harrison Road across from the Breslin Center.

"Our goal is to keep the historic integrity of the facility on the external side while creating space that will appeal to a 17-year-old on the inside," Ianni told the board. "We have a challenge, but I think we can get there."