FLORENCE, Ala.—The University of North Alabama has chosen HPM to oversee construction of the campus’s new Bank Independent Stadium. Baseball, soccer and football will all be played at the stadium, which is expected to be up and running for those sporting events in time for the 2026-2027 school year. Davis Architects will serve as architect-of-record for the sports-and-entertainment complex, which will stand where the school’s current turf field, Mike D. Lane Field and a grass practice field are located.

HPM will provide preconstruction services including budgeting, design management, contract negotiation and risk assessment. The design phase, anticipated to be completed later this year, will be followed by a more detailed construction and cost plan.

“The forthcoming Bank Independent Stadium is an exciting addition to our extensive portfolio of sports and recreation projects across the country, and we have seen immense demand for these types of facilities in Alabama as our state’s population continues to grow,” HPM Vice President of Program Development Ben Henson said of the stadium project. “We’re looking forward to working alongside the University of North Alabama to deliver this highly anticipated multipurpose facility, which will serve as a transformative community venue and a catalyst for Florence’s burgeoning growth story.”

Added Evan Thornton, UNA CFO and Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs at the university: “We are excited about this next step in the process of seeing the Bank Independent Stadium come to life at the University of North Alabama. HPM and Davis Architects will be tremendous assets to us as we embark on this historic project.”

Among HPM’s many other notable educational performance venue projects are several for the University of Alabama as well as Daniel Meyer Coliseum and Lupton Baseball Field at Texas Christian University.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Hoar Construction, working in conjunction with Davis Architects, Inc., is in progress on a $65 million redesign of the recreation and wellness complex at Samford University. In addition to a ground-up building, the scope of the 165,000-square-foot project entails renovations of several nearby buildings at the Birmingham campus. This work represents the largest capital investment project in Samford history.

Hoar will be renovating the existing Seibert Hall, Bashinsky Field House as well as the Dwight and Lucille Beeson Center. Seibert Hall, which host’s Samford’s multipurpose arena, will soon feature two new basketball courts, fitness course studios, workout room, esports studio, multi-use courts and other amenities. Hoar will also be constructing a coffee shop and 24-hour convenience store within Seibert.

At the Bashinsky Field House, Hoar will be fashioning new practice areas for men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball games, as well as training spaces. Meanwhile, the Dwight and Lucille Beeson Center will enjoy new life as the homebase for Samford’s counseling and health centers.

In addition, a 20,000-square-foot, ground-up construction to be sited next to Seibert Hall will be a state-of-the-art home for various fitness amenities and machines, including basketball courts, performance spaces, outdoor athletic areas, a suspended indoor track, pedestrian walkway as well as a covered balcony overlooking the adjacent Bobby Bowden Field.

Hoar’s renovations and additions to the athletic complex are anticipated to be ready for the fall of 2024. The general contractor is aiming for LEED certification on the work at Samford.

“We take great pride in our lasting relationship with Samford, which has proven to be an invaluable partner as we work to continue bolstering the university’s facilities and offerings for the student body,” Tim Wilson, senior superintendent at Hoar, said recently. “We look forward to delivering this state-of-the-art recreation center and continuing our track record of excellence in higher education construction within our home base of Birmingham.”

In a subsequent statement to School Construction News, Wilson extrapolated that working on a smaller, and active, campus in an urban setting presents additional challenges for the entire construction team.

“Samford is very land-locked, so construction will require some strategic workarounds to accommodate this challenging setting without disrupting school operations or schedules,” he said. “Fortunately, our team at Hoar and our partners have extensive experience working in busy higher education environments, and understand the specific nuances that play into keeping construction flowing during this type of project.”

Hoar has worked on nearly two dozen projects at Samford in Birmingham worth a combined $116 million over the last decade, commencing with the Brock School of Business in 2014. The firm’s other education-related clients include Auburn University, the University of Alabama, Texas A&M University, the University of Houston and Memphis University.

Hoar operates from nine offices across seven states, employing over 4,000 professionals.

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