A Link-Belt crane HTC-8675 II was used to set all the structural steel. It had roughly 100 ft. of boom and was rated for roughly 6,000 lbs. of lifting capacity.
(Austin Tillison/JSU photo)
Student athletes and coaches are eagerly awaiting completion of a new football complex that will replace the existing fieldhouse at Jacksonville State University (JSU) stadium in Calhoun County, Ala. The school broke ground on the $32 million project in spring 2023.
“The Loring and Debbie White Football Complex will take Jax State Football into the future, providing our student athletes a training facility that will place the program on par with its peers in the Football Bowl Subdivision [FBS],” said JSU Athletic Director Greg Seitz. “The two-level facility will include a game day club level/player lounge and field club area on the first floor. The second level will feature eight suites and two corporate super suites with deck access.”
The project calls for new training equipment, technology, hydrotherapy, coaches’ offices and additional meeting rooms. A central player concourse will allow users to move efficiently through the building to maximize valuable training time. A football hall of fame will complete the project, with graphics and displays highlighting the football program’s history and accomplishments.
“It’s been exciting to watch our team compete on Burgess Snow Field this season, with the new football complex under construction in the background,” Seitz explained. “The Gamecocks have had an outstanding inaugural season in the FBS and seeing the program’s new home rising up around us gives us a glimpse of all we have to look forward to in the years ahead. I’ve had many of our fans comment on how much they have enjoyed watching the building being built during the home games this season.”
The official groundbreaking ceremony took place in April. Loring and Debbie White and Coach Rich Rodriguez were in attendance, along with Seitz, university President Don Killingsworth and members of the board of trustees.
The general contractor for the project is Brasfield & Gorrie of Birmingham. Goodwyn Mills Cawood serves as the architect, with Kemp Management Services selected as program manager.
According to Brasfield & Gorrie Project Manager Nate Karr, one of the biggest challenges on the job is working on a small, compact site.
“There are a lot of moving pieces and several trade contractors working together to keep construction flowing,” Karr said.
Currently, crews are working to get the building envelope closed.
“This consists of exterior framing, sheathing, waterproofing, roofing and setting windows,” said Karr. “We also are framing the interior walls and doing our MEP overhead rough in.”
Workers have exported a significant amount of cut material to bring the site to grade and have performed structure work and completed underground utilities. Tasks remaining include drywall hanging/finishing, all interior finishes, exterior masonry work, exterior metal panels, landscaping, hardscapes and parking lot improvements.
Karr said building the fieldhouse required a lot of planning and coordination.
“The first key task was demolishing the existing building that was onsite where the new football center is going,” he said. “We also preserved the existing football field, which is just a few feet away. We had to install new utilities for the building and upgrade existing utilities on campus to accommodate the new facility.”
Crews tore down the two-story, 32,000-sq. ft. football operations building. The demolition was performed using various pieces of equipment including track hoes, skid steers, jack hammer and dump trucks. This took approximately three weeks to complete.
“The new building is built into a hill adjacent to an existing road that could not be taken offline,” said Karr. “We managed to solve this logistical challenge by installing a permanent soldier beam and lagging shoring wall put in place before the excavation could begin. This allowed for the commencement of the rough grading of the building pad prior to installation of building foundations.”
As for outdoor conditions, said Karr, “Weather has had minimal impact to the project to date; however, as winter approaches, the elements may be a bigger factor. Rain is a common challenge, but we are working very hard to finish the building envelope before the heavy rain sets in.
“This would allow the building to be dried in and for us to continue the inside scope of work,” he added. “We also know freezing temperatures can affect some scopes of work, and we have remedies planned to mitigate the impact of bad weather, which is always a variable.”
The project required moving more than 10,000 cu. yds. of material. Large quantities of steel are being used to complete the assignment, along with concrete, brick, metal panels, glazing and drywall/cover board. Heavy machinery on site has recently included excavators, bulldozers, cranes, man lifts, lulls and scissor lifts.
“The most exciting equipment would be the 75-ton crane that was used to set all the structural steel,” Karr explained. “This was a Link-Belt crane HTC-8675 II. It had roughly 100 feet of boom and was rated for roughly 6,000 pounds of lifting capacity.”
Karr noted working on the project is extremely satisfying.
“Jacksonville State University recently joined the FBS of the NCAA Division 1 and they are already making a splash in the division,” Karr said. “They are in contention for a conference title this season and the addition of this facility will help boost their program and provide their athletes and coaches with a brand new facility. It also will include 10 gameday suites and a ground floor club level and outdoor seating for fans.
“As a former college athlete myself, I understand the importance of facilities in recruiting, day-to-day operations and recovery of the student athletes,” Karr added. “It gives me a lot of joy to be involved in a project that will provide these facilities to other student athletes so they can get the most out of their time while enrolled at JSU.”
The new complex recognizes an athlete who made significant contributions to the school.
“Loring White grew up on a farm in Prattville, Ala., and put himself through college on a football scholarship at Jacksonville State University,” said Seitz. “After a brief, but successful career as a high school football coach, the 1978 JSU education alumnus decided to go into sales. Now semi-retired, he runs a cattle ranch in Five Points, Ala., with his wife.”
The project is scheduled for completion in fall 2024. CEG
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