War Memorial: A One-Day Lambeau South?

Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.

War Memorial Stadium Commission Chairman Gary Smith told Arkansas Business on Monday that the Little Rock stadium, part-time home to the Razorbacks since 1948, might one day resemble Green Bay's legendary Lambeau Field with club suites encircling the entire facility.

Such an addition would increase the stadium's seating capacity from just under 55,000 to roughly 60,000. Smith's long-range vision also includes possible expansion. He envisions an upper deck on the east side of the stadium that would add about 10,000 seats.

If both projects are realized, War Memorial's seating capacity would approach, if not exceed, 70,000. Lambeau, home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers, currently seats 72,000.

Smith said fans should expect to see the Lambeau-like club seats encircling the stadium within 20 years. He added that the addition of 5,000 club seats would mean the University of Arkansas' game-day takes in Little Rock would rival those of Fayetteville and could lure the Hogs back to central Arkansas for extra games. 

In the meantime, the stadium will include a much-needed new press box by the start of the 2010 football season. Part of a new lease between the commission and city entails the construction of a new press box, expansion of club seating from 220 to about 500 seats and the addition of a walking track around the stadium. In addition, Smith noted the UA's agreement with the stadium commission to play at least two games a year at War Memorial has been extended through 2016 and that he believed the Hogs would always play in Little Rock.

Construction on the new press box is scheduled to begin on Dec. 15 of this year and must be complete by Aug. 31, 2010, just in time for football season. The new press box will come in at 28,000 SF and provide 9,000 more SF of space than currently exists. Considered outdated by today's standards, the War Memorial press box was voted best in the nation by sportswriters in 1971.

The new press box will cost around $7.5 million, $3.5 million of which will be funded through bonds. The rest will be provided by the state and from stadium-operating revenue.

Smith represented the commission at Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola's Monday afternoon press conference detailing future plans for War Memorial Park. As part of a compromise that will likely entail the sale of the now-vacant Ray Winder Field property to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the stadium commission will surrender its easement on a roughly 3-acre parking lot adjacent to the Little Rock Zoo that will be used for much-needed zoo expansion.

In exchange, the zoo will withdraw its bid to purchase the Ray Winder property and UAMS will provide the stadium with replacement parking once the zoo expands.