UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A recommendation to appoint Populous of Kansas City, Missouri, to design an estimated $12 million renovation to the Mildred and Louis Lasch Football Building was approved today (Jan. 15) by the Penn State Board of Trustees Committee on Finance, Business and Capital Planning, and will be forwarded to the full board Friday (Jan. 16) for a vote.
The Lasch Building near the intersection of University Drive and Hastings Road, next to the Greenberg Pavilion, opened in 1998 and was one of the finest football training facilities in the country. Since that time, it has seen few upgrades. The facility remains functional and continues to serve the majority of needs for Intercollegiate Athletics and Penn State football, but there are a number of functional requirements that are not being met, according to officials.
The proposed project will expand and reconfigure the locker room and recruiting lounge, and include the installation of themed graphics and branding. The equipment room will be expanded and renovated with new work areas and new office spaces. A new fitting room with uniform and equipment display with storage, as well as a new loading dock and parking lot reconfiguration are planned. Upgrades to mechanical systems are included as well as integration of video, sound and lighting in various areas, and an immersive digital experience.
Previous related work by Populous includes the Football Training Facility at Boise State University; the Basketball Center at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas; and the TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota.
Fundraising efforts for this project are currently underway as the renovations are to be completely financed through private gifts. If approved, the project will tentatively begin early phases this month, with completion slated for June 2016.