Camp Randall Stadium's $100 million renovation plans progressed Friday after the State Building Commission decided to allow officials to choose a construction manager who they deem the most efficient, not just the one who offers the lowest bid.
Commission members waived the low-bid requirement in the same way they did for the construction of UW's Kohl Center.
Rob Cramer, administrator in the State Division of Facilities Management for the State Building Commission, said now a separate committee comprised of university officials and other figures related to the project will choose the top two construction managers by early February. Department of Administration Secretary George Lightbourn will then make the final decision.
Construction firms will have until early December to offer proposals, Cramer said. The manager will work directly with the lead architect for the project, Bill Doyle, who has been designing the new Camp Randall for the past year.
Part of the reason officials waived the normal low-bid requirement was because of the complexity of the renovations, according to Bruce Braun, UW-Madison assistant vice chancellor for facilities planning and management.
\We felt it was necessary to get a construction manager to address all the different issues involved,"" he said. ""We hope it'll keep us on track and within budget.""
Additions to the football stadium will possibly include more seats in the student section along with a new Athletics Department office building. The rest of the project will involve improvements on existing facilities including rebuilding the south end zone, as well as adding restrooms, concession stands and elevators to aid in handicap accessibility.
Renovations are to be finished by the 2004 football season.
