The UF Board of Trustees will vote on continuing with designs of a $250 million central energy plan and construction of a $50 million baseball stadium today.
The board met Thursday in Emerson Alumni Hall and split up into different committees to decide what should be voted on by the full board today. Things on the table to be passed or crossed off include the construction of a 10,000 capacity Gator baseball stadium and the design of a campus-wide central energy plan.
UF Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said the stadium could be ready as soon as the 2020 season, along with renovations to Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
“We have such incredible weather here and such a great baseball program,” he said. “The one thing we’re really missing is a facility that matches those two things.”
UF spokesperson Steve Orlando said Stricklin negotiated the location with the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to build on some of the institute’s fields, but the stadium’s exact location hasn’t been announced as of Thursday.
Trustees also discussed a future central energy plan to fully update UF’s 50-year-old power grid, removing the need for a third-party energy provider in the process.
UF should move forward with the project, said Charlie Lane, UF’s chief operating officer. Duke Energy, UF’s current utility provider, plans to shut down its central electricity and steam facility by 2022, forcing UF to consider other options.
The project is expensive because it requires building an estimated $155 million central energy plant and a complete reworking of UF’s thermal infrastructure, another $55 million, Lane said. The plan would reduce greenhouse gas emission by 20 percent.
The trustees will allow facility services to continue with the project’s design phase, but they wanted more information before narrowing down funding options.
“We’re not ready to go and invest in this kind of money,” said Vice Chair Mori Hosseini.
Stricklin said Friday the new stadium will be located in the southwestern part of campus, and a new football training facility will be built by 2021 where the current baseball stadium is located.
Between 400-500 parking spots will be added along with the stadium, Stricklin said. The proposed stadium will have 6,000 seats but a 10,000 total capacity. There will be standing room for people to watch.
