Temple Tries to Ease Tensions With New Football Stadium Details
In a nod to community concerns, the stadium would sit 25 feet below sidewalk level — and the school would encourage tailgating only on campus.
Rendering via Temple University
Temple University released more details about its proposed football stadium on Wednesday, less than a month after the school cut short a community town hall where administrators had planned to present the information.
The new specifics, first published in the Temple News, are meant to ease the worries of community members, who fear that a football stadium would contribute to gentrification of the surrounding neighborhood through increased rent and home prices, as well as create noise, trash, and traffic issues.
Per a presentation created by Dozie Ibeh, associate vice president of Temple’s Project Delivery Group, here’s what the university has to say about the stadium:
Location and Size
Image via Temple University
- The stadium would be part of a multipurpose facility that would also include classrooms, research spaces, and a retail complex.
- It would be bound by Norris Street to the north, Broad Street to the east, Pearson and McGonigle Halls and the Aramark STAR Complex to the south, and 16th Street to the west.
- Temple is seeking approval to close 15th Street between Norris Street and Montgomery Avenue, where the facility would be located. Part of 15th Street from Montgomery to Polett Walk would remain open to pedestrian traffic.
- The two primary stadium entrances would face toward Broad Street, away from the surrounding neighborhood.
- The stadium would sit 25 feet below sidewalk level on two sides, to avoid towering over neighboring row homes.
Game-day Celebrations
- Temple says the stadium would hold six home games per year.
- The school would attempt to keep tailgating festivities on campus by setting up tents and tables in certain locations in effort to “keep fans away from the neighborhood.”
- A loading dock (accessible by a portion of 15th Street closed to public traffic) will take vehicles underneath part of the facility, where deliveries, trash removal, team drop-offs and more will occur.
Parking
Image via Temple University
- A study funded by Temple found that a sold-out stadium would require 5,000 parking spots.
- Temple claims that it has 5,294 parking spots on its campus. The school says it would attempt to send stadium-goers to these parking facilities.
- Many of Temple’s parking locations sit east of Broad Street.
- The university would inform attendees of where to park when they purchase game tickets, so when people will know to park on campus instead of in the surrounding neighborhood.
