Last year, the Houck Stadium at Southeast Missouri State University was demolished. Now, the bidding for the first phase of construction on the planned multiuse complex will begin over the weekend.
Starting on July 17th, the project received $11 million from the State of Missouri after Governor Mike Parson gave his approval in June. The funds will be used for, among other things, demolition, site preparation and planning, design, and construction
Requests for bids will include only phase one of the multiphase project, which includes the rebuild of the south grandstand, fan facilities, and associated HVAC, mechanical and other systems work.
Director of Athletics Brady Barke has voiced his excitement with the project moving forward. Barke says that the main idea of phase one is for the enjoyment of those attending events.
"I'm excited about moving forward with the first phase of the Houck project. We've tried to really focus on the fan experience in this initial phase. And this is going to be a huge step forward towards completing this transformational project".
Houck Stadium was demolished last year following a structural assessment. The University and the Southeast Missouri University Foundation identified approximately $12 million for replacement.
Bids were previously received for phase one in January 2022, but significantly exceeded the cost estimate. To keep construction costs lower as well as maintain the quality of the project, Southeast and its architectural firm have spent the last few months redesigning the initial phase.
While there isn't a full plan for the next phase, Barke says now that they're making progress, attention will be on designing for the remaining phases and figuring out costs, so they can start work to fully fund the complete project.
