4B
Friday, April 28,1995
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Applications are now available for the Fall 1995 news staff.
Positions available are:
Editorial Board Members
Columnists
Cartoonists
Photographers
Graphic Artists
Applications are available in 111 Stauffer-Flint, and due May 2. Anyone may apply.
By Paul Newberry Associated Press sportswriter
The Jacksonville Jaguars await completion of old, bulldozed Gator Bowl
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The field is a muddy quagmire, overrun with tractors and trucks. The aisles are littered with cardboard, wiring and stray paper blowing in the wind. The concessions areas are eerie cauldrons with makeshift lights dangling from the ceiling.
Railings have yet to be fastened down, thousands of seats still are boxed up, only two light towers have been hoisted into place, and a huge crane hovers over the stands in the south end zone, obscuring the view of the St. John's River.
It's hard to believe they'll be playing an NFL game there in less than four months.
It's the new Gator Bowl, for lack of a better name, until the customary corporate title is bestowed on the $125 million home of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
What may look like a mess to the untrained eye is actually a thing of beauty to the people who are building the 73,000-seat structure.
"Yes, everything is on schedule," said Don Nickell, who's overseeing
Day one was only about 15 months ago, when the grimy pile of steel known as the Gator Bowl was leveled, and a new, modern stadium began to go up in its place.
the construction for the work.
"Obviously, it's very tight, but we knew that from day one."
Unlike their expansion brethren in North Carolina, who will spend their first year playing at a college stadium until their site in Charlotte is built, the Jaguars will play in their new home right from the start.
This is a new stadium, not just a renovation of the old Gator Bowl. The only part of the former stadium that's still standing is the concrete upper deck on the west side, which was added in 1982 to raise capacity to more than 80,000.
The rest of the stadium — more than 70,000 seats — was demolished, and even the part that was left standing is being completely redone. Some refurbishings include: the new armchair seats being installed in the upper deck and the glass atrium. Wealthy fans can go to club seating and luxury boxes via elevator, escalator or grand stairway.
"The overall design and construction period for this project is two years," Nickell said. "Typically, a stadium of this magnitude and complexity would have a three-year design and construction schedule."
Besides, this a new NFL market in a state where the pro game still is relatively new.
"In Florida, they don't have that great historical reference for design like they would in the North and the East," said Jack Boyle, project manager for the stadium. "What we actually try to do is create a signature: everything from color to palm trees and everything in between."
Fans arriving for the Aug. 18 home exhibition opener against the St. Louis Rams will find a teal-dominated stadium — it must be a rule that all expansion teams have teal as their primary color — with all the standard amenities, plus some unique features.
Unlike other new stadiums, where the high-priced club seats usually ring the entire stadium between the upper and lower decks, Jacksonville's 10,000 club seats are concentrated entirely in the bottom level between the 30-yard lines.
The scoreboards at each end will be among the largest in the NFL—60 feet tall and 156 feet wide nearly the width of the field. The scoreboard in the south end zone will be placed on four huge metal towers, well behind the seats, which are lower on that side to afford a view of the river that cuts through the heart of the city.
"It's going to be spectacular," Nickell said.
1995 KANSAS BASEBALL Hawks Open 3-Game Series Friday Night!
JAYHAWKS
vs.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Tonight!
- 7pm
Play Baseball Bingo!
WINNERS WILL RECEIVE PRIZES THROUGHOUT THE GAME!
STUDENTS FREE WITH KUID
Farmer's Ball at the Bottleneck KJHX 90.7
The Final Four Has Been Decided!
Happy Teriyaki Six The Day After Larry Danger Bob
Tuesday and Wednesday
18+ $4 21+$3
Friday
18+ $5 21+$4 18 and up
Will Start at 9:00 p.m.