The Swamp is getting a makeover.
The Florida Gators announced on Monday that Ben Hill Griffin Stadium would undergo a massive renovation project. The Associated Press reported that the project will be worth at least $400 million.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Swamp is getting a makeover, a significant overhaul that’s expected to cost at least $400 million and be a “multigenerational solution” for an aging and iconic stadium in the heart of Florida’s campus.
The Gators announced plans Monday to hire an architect for the design of its revamped Florida Field, the first public step in a process that’s been ruminating for years. The school will open a formal selection window in July.
Florida Field has stood in Gainesville for nearly 100 years. The iconic stadium opened its doors in 1930. Initially, it began with just 22,000 seats. The Swamp has since ballooned enormously. It can hold up to roughly 88,500, and that’s not accounting for standing room only.
In a conference littered with tradition, The Swamp stands near the top of the hierarchy in the SEC in terms of its iconic standing. But it’s also a conference where everything seems to get bigger and better. Florida has needed renovation for the stadium for years, as the article entailed that it had been a longstanding process. Now, though, they will be able to secure those changes. If nothing else, the only thing you can hope for is that the changes don’t do too much to remove its character. But the phrase “multigenerational solution” was used, so they’re certainly going to be giving it a face-lift.
[ESPN]
