The University of South Carolina is proposing to renovate its football stadium in Columbia and surround it with new retail and residences in the latest effort across the United States that combines sports facilities and commercial development.
The 35,000-student university sent requests for information to 16 private companies with a deadline of March 7. Construction could begin as soon as early 2024.
The university sent the request for information to developers and construction firms including national firms AECOM, Avison Young and JLL, Columbia-area developers and local law firms.
The school said in the request it wants the companies to propose "market-based pricing structures and describe potential services or solutions."
School officials estimated the proposed upgrade of Williams-Brice Stadium and the mixed-use development could be valued at about $1 billion, according to media reports.
Professional sports franchises and colleges have ramped up efforts to secure new stadiums to lure more fans and generate additional revenue. The National Football League’s Chicago Bears, Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals and Northwestern University of the Big Ten Conference are all pursuing new stadiums situated among new apartments, shops, restaurants, concert halls and office buildings.
Large But Outdated
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team plays its home games at the 77,559-seat Williams-Brice Stadium. While the stadium is one of the largest in college football, it was built in 1934 and lacks modern amenities like expanded dining options, luxury suites and larger fan concourses.
The university owns about 800 acres of undeveloped land between the stadium and the Congaree River and another 17 acres near Colonial Life Arena where its basketball teams play.
The university plans to seek private donations and wants to reach either a master development agreement or a ground lease as part of the proposed financing plan.
The school’s athletics department did not release details of its development plan.
At least some of the undeveloped acreage near the stadium is located in a flood plain and the university did not provide details on how or whether it will build in that area, according to The State newspaper in Columbia.
The stadium and commercial redevelopment will not include the State Fairgrounds, located next to Williams-Brice Stadium, which is owned by a nonprofit organization.