Colorado Real Estate Journal - May 4, 2016
Mortenson Construction recently completed one of the most transformational capital construction projects in intercollegiate athletics at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Our vision of sustainable excellence is about transforming opportunity,” said Rick George, University of Colorado athletic director. “In achieving this vision, each student athlete that takes the field in black and gold will do so bolstered with the knowledge that we’ve provided them with every resource necessary to be successful – both in competition and in life beyond graduation.” Key elements of the project include: • A 212,000-square-foot expansion to Folsom Field. • The state-of-the-art Champions Center, which serves as the new home of CU football and many Olympic sport coaches and the athletic administration. The Champions Center houses a team locker room and lounge, team dining facilities, and a rooftop terrace for game-day and special events. • A new Sports Medicine and Performance Center, in partnership with Boulder Community Health, that is open to the public. • A 38,000-sf renovation of Dal Ward Athletic Center, which includes the addition of a men’s and women’s Olympic sport locker room, expansion of the Academic Center and a new weight room. • The construction of a 108,000-sf, net-zero energy indoor practice facility. This facility serves all sports programs and the six-lane, 300-meter Olympic track allows CU to host sanctioned track and field events on campus. • A 534-car underground parking garage below the indoor practice facility. • Franklin Field, a 106,000-sf outdoor grass practice field, adjacent to the indoor practice facility. “Designing and building concurrently while working around all of the events and activities that brought hundreds of thousands of people in and around the project site for events for a schedule that could not change, in order to accommodate collegiate football schedules, was one of several challenges on the project,” said Gene Hodge, Mortenson vice president, project development. “Yet when you look at the end result, which included delivering one of the largest collegiate net-zero energy facilities – the indoor practice facility with a parking garage underneath – our team is incredibly proud of our efforts.” During construction, Mortenson helped engage the community and various stakeholders by creating an interactive model of the project that users could navigate using a game controller. The exhibit was also displayed on a mobile TV in campus buildings near the stadium and served as a communication and fundraising tool. Populous was the architect. The Mortenson design-build team completed the fast-paced project without significant disruption to daily campus activity, and the seating portion was completed prior to the start of the football season, allowing revenue generation for the owner.