FRESH ART: A rendering from Populous shows the University of South Florida’s new football stadium. The opening has been pushed to 2027 after USF switched the project delivery method. (Courtesy USF)

Supply chain issues remain challenge for contractors

University of South Florida officials have switched the delivery method for their new on-campus football stadium project from design-build to construction manager at risk, according to local reports.

Late last week, USF confirmed it had terminated the design-build contract with general contractor Barton Malow, which has been working on the project over the past year in Tampa.

Architect Populous served as a subcontractor for the $340 million stadium and will continue its role as designer moving forward, reports said.

USF plans to issue a proposal for a construction manager in the coming weeks and the plan remains to break ground in 2024.

Supply chain issues tied to delivery of steel delayed the stadium’s opening one year to 2027, resulting in the adjustment in delivery, reports said.

Len Moser, Barton Malow vice president, told VenuesNow that his company would review the proposal when it comes out before making a decision about whether to submit a bid.

“We would love to build the stadium after having put a lot of effort into pre-construction (services),” Moser said.

Design-build theoretically expedites construction due to the consolidation of services, but it carries a premium price.

In addition, under the design-build model, the project owner has the benefit of fewer parties to communicate with to help resolve daily issues on the construction site, industry sources said.

“The owner has one less throat to choke,” said one source in the sports construction industry.

Over the past 20 years, Barton Malow has extensive experience building college football stadiums, including major renovations to Notre Dame Stadium and Michigan Stadium.

In October, Barton Malow was selected as part of a three-team joint venture with AECOM and Alexander Building Construction on a massive, $700 million renovation of Penn State’s Beaver Stadium.

The contractor is also involved in an athletics master plan at Vanderbilt University that extends to improvements at the SEC school’s football stadium, as well as advance planning for a potential expansion to Jerry Richardson Stadium at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

At South Florida, the plan remains intact to build a 35,000-seat stadium.

New renderings issued by the American Athletic Conference institution show a building with an open concourse. Design elements extend to a student section in the west end zone, a large tailgating zone along the north side and variety of premium seat options.

One image shows the USF Federal Credit Union Champions Way, a gateway to the new stadium. The credit union paid $6 for naming rights to the space.

In a separate agreement, Tampa General Hospital has donated $25 million to the project for naming rights to an academic center tied to the stadium.

To date, school officials have raised $43 million toward a goal of $50 million in private donations. USF also has secured a $200 million loan from Truist Bank to help pay for construction.

USF has yet to announce a naming rights partner for the stadium itself.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated.