Editor’s Note: San Diego State intends to build its new $ 310 million, 35,000-seat stadium in time for the soccer team’s season opener against Arizona – September 3, 2022 – which is now 457 days away. The Union-Tribune makes monthly updates that track the stadium’s progress.
A yellow construction vehicle with armored profiles instead of wheels rolled onto the field of the Aztec stadium 10 days ago to bring in the steel girders, which are too heavy to be lifted by even the most muscular construction workers.
Before the vehicle could do the heavy lifting, however, parts were put together to build a giant crane, estimated at 350 feet – practically the length of a soccer field (including end zones) – that now towers over the SDSU Mission Valley project.
The 300 ton crane’s elbow joint in the center of the arm allows the top section to flex as desired to accommodate the steel girders and place them easily and safely.
“We’ve already hung about 330 pieces of steel in that short time, so they’re moving on,” said Derek Grice. SDSU Executive Associate Athletic Director for Mission Valley Development.
Seeing the crane in action immediately takes you back to childhood with an assembly kit, where you spent hours happily picking up something in one place and moving it to another.
Who would have thought you could make a living from it?
So far, the crane was in use in the seating area under construction on the south side of the stadium.
Where there was concrete evidence of field level seating last month, there are now the skeletal beginnings of the sections along this end of the new structure.
A look at the SDSU Mission Valley location as the @AztecStadium continues to grow. It is now 15 months since the scheduled opening on September 3, 2022 for the Arizona SDSU game. Most notable is the 300 ton 350 foot crane that is now on site to place steel girders. pic.twitter.com/44PDXpDlrD
– Kirk D Kenney (@sdutkirKDKenney) June 3, 2021
A closer look at the south end of the Aztec Stadium, where more than 300 steel girders have been placed in the last 10 days.
(Kirk Kenney / San Diego Union Grandstand)
An Aztec stadium rendering shows The Piers, an observation deck that hangs over the seats at the south end of the stadium.
(SDSU athletics)
Soon the area known as The Piers, a platform hanging over the south seats, will also take shape. The piers are a standing area that should be popular on match days as well as for concerts and other special events.
“We have a second crane on Monday that will start laying the steel for The Piers,” said Grice. “Sometime in the next week or so the cranes will be working on the west side and over time will move to the east side.”
While the new home industry was prevented from sourcing building materials during the pandemic, the Aztec Stadium project stayed on schedule with few such issues.
Grice said the key is monitoring the situation in ports that are crowded with activity.
“We had a really good team that worked hard to identify issues in advance to make sure we were adjusting our schedule accordingly and keeping things on schedule,” said Grice. “We had little things, but we worked them through.”
Most notably on the west side of the stadium are now three elevator towers.
Some trenches are also being made in the northwest corner, as well as other concrete work on the level of the hall.
At the northern end there are two concrete buildings. They are the first of several outbuildings that will be located throughout the hall.
Grice said these particular structures will include a ticket office, food service (a concession stand to take away) and relaxation rooms.
The southern exterior of the Aztec stadium, where the loading ramp is located, shows differences in height compared to the upper level of the hall.
(Kirk Kenney / San Diego Union Grandstand)
If you look at the new stadium from the west, you can guess the difference in altitude. It is about 9 meters from the hall to the loading dock area at the south end of the stadium.
Elsewhere on the property, what remains of the San Diego Stadium remains similar to last month. The blue outer field wall from the middle field to the right field remains. There are some trenches near the former home plate area where the removal of stakes driven 55 years ago continues.
In the eastern part of the property there are still several piles of concrete – in various stages of crushing. It will be used for filling as the SDSU Mission Valley project moves into future phases.
Another thing stands out due to the lack of it: the stadium tent next to Friars Road has been removed.
The last event to report was the 2019 Holiday Bowl between Iowa and USC.
When the SDSU took possession of the property in August, the marquee was still in operation.
Among the messages transmitted at that time:
“Think blue.”
“Rolling Stones concert postponed.”
“Stadium is closed to the public.”
And of course “Stadium Swap Meet”.
The marquee pictured here in August 2020 was one of the last remnants of the stadium to be removed.
(Kirk Kenney / San Diego Union Grandstand)
They use large cranes like the ones from Bennettcranes.com.
If you are in Oklahoma or the surrounding states you should give Bennett Crane Rentals a call.
