Stanford Stadium, Completed in Just 42 Weeks, Marks the End of a Unique Construction Project and Perhaps the Beginning of a New Era in Cardinal Sports
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In Business Photo by Michael Mullady/Pa lo Alt lo o Weekly, with assistance fro assistance with Weekly, o m pilot Bob Lenox, Jorgense n-Lawrence Aircraft and the Palo Alto Airport Association Stanford is a winner in this ‘bowl’ game The reconstruction of Stanford Stadium, completed in just 42 weeks, marks the end of a unique construction project and perhaps the beginning of a new era in Cardinal sports by Keith Peters t was a phone call that got the ball rolling. John Arrillaga was throwing a tractor Vance Brown Builders and would be the project manager on this Hail Mary and Rod Humble was on the receiving end. It was a conversa- undertaking. “John said ‘We’re going to do a renovation; get some seats in I tion that would change the lives of hundreds, change the face of Stanford there. It’ll cost around $30 million.’ ” University athletics and cost one man his life. And then Arrillaga, a Stanford graduate who is as much a part of the uni- The old lady was about to see the end of her 84 years on this planet. Those age versity as Hoover Tower, said something that really got Humble’s attention. lines had turned to cracks and she just wasn’t a lot of fun to be around anymore. “John said, ‘We’re going to tear things down and you have between seasons Those game-day parties that filled her up were becoming as scarce as winning to do it,’ ” Humble recalled. seasons. Forget the face lift; it was time for a complete makeover. That deadline caused pure panic in Humble, who raced to a computer to lay Stanford Stadium, the largest privately owned college football facility in the out the guidelines to see if it could be accomplished in that time frame. United States, was going to be — appropriately enough — history. Palo Alto resident Loren Brown, president of Vance Brown Builders, re- “It started very low key,” said Humble, who works for Palo Alto-based con- members the day he spoke with Arrillaga regarding the stadium reconstruc- continued on page 43 Page 42 • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly Stanford Stadium A spectator (top) watches Stanford Stadium fill up for a final time at the Nov. 26, 2005 season finale against Notre Dame, which saw former Cardinal coach Bill Walsh and former All-American quarterback Jim Plunkett (above) enjoy the festivities before excavators (right) made a cer- emonial dig following the game. Construction of the new stadium began two days later. Photos by Norbert von der Groeben. dium followed by a huge card stunt, an open- “The stadium was designed to see that you of Stanford University shows the impact that Stanford Stadium ing ceremony and fireworks. could build all the required elements in the John Arrillaga has had on this campus.” (continued from page 41) Stanford hopes the fireworks will continue time frame that you have,” Brown explained. Arrillaga, who gave Stanford a $100 mil- tion. following the 7 p.m. kickoff, which marks the So, a functional design was selected (mir- lion donation in May, gained enough rapport “It was like good new, bad news,” Brown beginning of a new era in Cardinal football roring the football stadium at Southern Meth- with the school that the university made him recalled. “The good news is we’re going to do and the end of a remarkable and unique con- odist University) and Palo Alto architectural its representative on the stadium project. the stadium job. The bad news is, look at the struction project. firm Hoover Associates was hired to provide “He says ‘If I’m going to be involved, then schedule. Can we do it? You sort of second- Stadiums have been built cheaper and the drawings. I want to do it my way,’ “ Brown explained. guess yourself; what if you don’t pull it off?” quicker. The original Stanford Stadium took That was the beginning of the formation of “He has a lot of pride. This is his current pride Added Humble: “We had to align ourselves only four and a half months to finish with a Stanford’s most successful football “team” and joy.” with the right players who will get the job $200,000 price tag for the then-60,000-seat since the school’s 1996 Sun Bowl squad. Added Humble: “It’s all John-directed. He done right.” facility. That, of course, was in 1921. The Arrillaga, Class of 1960 and a member of has the vision.” Brown, following in the footsteps of his Arizona Cardinals of the National Stanford’s Athletic Hall of Fame, Unlike public projects where contractors grandfather (Vance), who founded the com- Football League just finished their would serve as the team owner. have to jump through hoops and cut through pany in 1932 (he died in 1956), and his father, 63,000-seat state-of-the-art stadium, “He has been a benefactor of the red tape, having only Arrillaga to answer to Bob (he passed away a year ago), accepted the at a cost of $455 million, which now athletic program going back 25, 30, allowed Brown and his staff to speed up the challenge and the game was on. ranks as one of the 10 most impres- 40 years and over time has become building process. Forty-two weeks later, kickoff is upon us. sive sports venues in the world. involved in Stanford projects,” Brown, whose company has a long-term Stanford will celebrate its new $100 million Stanford wasn’t interested in Brown said of the local real estate relationship with Stanford and Arrillaga Stanford Stadium on Saturday with a non- such an edifice. It didn’t even want developer. “Not just donating mon- — renovating Sunken Diamond and Maples conference football game against Navy. There another (pick your favorite name) ey, but also lending his expertise in Pavilion among the many projects completed will be a U.S. Navy jet flyover and the Navy PacBell/SBC/AT&T Park, either. It building, designing and landscap- since 1949 — became the head coach of the “Leap Frog” team will sky dive into the sta- didn’t make economic sense. ing. The entire athletic quadrant continued on page 45 Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Page 43 We Did It...294 Days! Thank you Stanford for the opportunity to construct the new stadium. Let the games begin. GO CARDINAL - BEAT CAL Vance Brown, Inc. 3197 Park Blvd. Palo Alto, CA 94306 www.vancebrown.com (650) 849-9900 Established 1934 Lic. 122847 Page 44 • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly Stanford Stadium “I don’t look at it that we’ve never done a stadium,” he said. “Look at the components of a stadium — you’ve got earth, you’ve got concrete, you’ve got electrical. It’s all the same components.” —Loren Brown President, Vance Brown Builders Construction workers walk through the lower concourse (above), which will house restrooms and concession stands under the upper bowl. Other workers (left) pre- pare foundations for the lower bowl seats (at right), where concrete will be poured (above right). Once the molds were poured and set, they were moved to another section of the stadium and re-poured. Photos by Norbert von der Groeben continued from page 43 was able to control all the design and all the ford football home games as a kid. This is the the cement the day before it was scheduled project and Humble served as quarterback, players,” Humble said. “It gave me the tools to kind of job where our neck is on the line. If to be poured. And, of course, there was the calling the day-to-day signals. do things like this in nine months.” we don’t have it done, we don’t walk down the weather. Arrillaga, Brown and Humble surrounded Brown likened the time frame to a baby’s street and look people in the eye. So, reputa- “There were a big series of storms in March themselves with an outstanding group of play- delivery, and this project was one big baby tion is everything. So you have to be done, and April,” said Brown, “and we had to sus- ers — Stanford’s representatives, the stadium that had to be delivered on time. Brown said and it has to be a good job. That’s the pres- pend grading operations for 60 days, which project management team, the project design there was no contract clause that levied a fine sure.” was killer. So, Rod had to re-sequence the team, subcontractors and the County of San- if the stadium was late. It wasn’t needed. For Brown and his team, building a stadium entire job.” ta Clara, “which did work with us to review “This was worse,” he said, “because there was a first for them. Brown, however, said it When the rain began to turn areas into po- plans/documents on an expedited basis and are 50,000 people scheduled to be here on was any other job. tential quagmires, the soil was treated with made arrangements that allowed us to sched- Sept. 16 and there is no way to change “I don’t look at it that we’ve lime to harden it. ule inspections to meet our schedule require- that. You can come up with every le- never done a stadium,” he said. “Lime treating cost $10,000 a day,” Brown ments,” Brown said. gitimate reason why you should get “Look at the components of a sta- explained. “It’s not money that’s going to im- Making and keeping schedules was every- more time, but you don’t get more dium — you’ve got earth, you’ve prove the stadium, but if you don’t do it you thing in razing old Stanford Stadium and rais- time.