Kyle Field renovation kicks off Wednesday night

Tomorrow night, the finishing touches on the Kyle Field redevelopment project will be publicly unveiled by Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp and President R. Bowen Loftin at 6 pm in a press conference on the A&M campus. This comes after a regularly scheduled meeting of the Texas A&M board of regents in which the redevelopment plans are anticipated to be ratified by the A&M Board of Regents.

The total price of the project is estimated to be $425 to $450 million with an eventual capacity of about 102,000 fans. Construction is expected to start immediately after the end of the 2013 season and each of the three phases (west side, east side, and south end zone) will require approximately eight months to complete. This period normally should consist of an off season but it is anticipated to also extend into some of the encompassing football seasons as well although every effort will be made to minimize the effects of the construction on the fans themselves. This means that in all likelihood that construction would be completed by the start of the 2016 season.

Approximately one quarter to one third of the costs of the construction will be paid for via donations. The remainder will be accounted for by the issuance of bonds with the sales of personal seat licenses (PSLs) and suite sales which would provide the money to pay off the bond and interest on them. Funds could also be raised through increases in student fees as well (this can only be approved from a vote of the students themselves) and with funds from the cities of Bryan and College Station who will contribute $36 million.

The RFP issued in November last year stated that:

• The field will be lowered seven feet and moved south by 18 feet to improve sightlines.

• The south end zone will have two levels. A lower level will be used for team activities, 12th Man Productions, and media. The upper level will be used for 12,000 seats with an option to construction up to 9,000 more.

• The west side of Kyle Field will be demolished and completely rebuilt.

• G. Rollie White and East Kyle will be demolished this upcoming summer. There will also be a club similar to the The Zone Club on the east side.

• There are currently about 40 suites and that number is anticipated to increase to over 100 in all and perhaps even triple. Some of them may be open air rather than enclosed.

• The press box will be rebuilt on the top deck of Kyle Field on the west side.

• There will be plans for a "grand indoor plaza" with access to tailgate facilities on the west side of Kyle Field.

• A "Gameday Club" will be constructed in the south end zone and will correspond to The Zone Club in The Zone at the north end of the stadium.