Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium began its upgrade in December 2008 and is now ready to show off what it has to offer as the season opener approaches. The renovation has sparked excitement with fans with season-ticket sales exceeding University of Louisville’s 40,000-ticket goal.

Completed this month by Hunt alongside design firm Luckett & Farley, the stadium now features nearly 13,000 additional seats consisting of 33 suites, 1,730 loge seats, 10,400 chairback seats in the upper deck and a new south terrace area open to everyone in the stadium.  PJCS is the only on-campus stadium to utilize all-chairback seating. With the upgrades, Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium can now accommodate more than 55,000 people.

The suites and loge seats open into the 20,000-square-foot PNC Club extending from end zone to end zone. The area features lounge seating, a full-service bar and concessions. Unlike the west side of the stadium, glass walls were built on the east side to allow fans a view of the field at all times while making their way from one end to the other.
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The Amway Center began its journey on July 26, 2007 when the Orange County Commission approved a public building program in a 5 – 2 vote. This program included a new events center, performing arts center and renovation of the Citrus Bowl Stadium.

On July 25, 2008, the stadium started taking physical shape as Hunt Construction Group, in association with Rey, Albu, HZ and Burns alongside architect Populous and owner Orlando Magic, held the official groundbreaking. The then unnamed facility became Amway Center on August 5, 2009.

The Amway Center was designed to reflect the character of the community, meet the goals of the users and build on the legacy of sports and entertainment in Orlando.

The building’s exterior features a modern blend of glass and metal materials, along with ever-changing graphics via a monumental wall along one façade. A 180-foot tall tower and spire serves as a beacon amid the downtown skyline.

At 875,000 square feet, the new arena is almost triple the size of the old Amway Arena. The building features a sustainable, environmentally friendly design, unmatched technology, featuring 1,100 digital monitors and the largest, high-definition scoreboard in an NBA venue as well as multiple premium amenities available to all patrons in the building. Every level of ticket buyer will have access to: the Budweiser Baseline Bar, Club Restaurant, Nutrilite Magic Fan Experience, Orlando on Demand Info Garden, Kid’s Zone, and multiple indoor-outdoor spaces which celebrate Florida’s climate.
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Completed by the Hunt/Lydig Joint Venture in December 2008 with Integrus Architecture, Coyote Ridge Corrections Center recently received its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certification.

The 560,000-square-foot Coyote Ridge Corrections Center is the first correctional facility to achieve LEED Gold certification. Even better, building the facility to LEED standards did not add to the overall construction cost; helping to set a new standard in correctional facility construction.

Building to higher standards has many benefits. The state will benefit long-term from reduced utility costs thanks to a decrease in the use of water, sewer, natural gas and electricity. Overall, it is estimated the prison will use 32% less energy when compared to a similar-size facility.
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The new home of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins just received it’s LEED® Gold certification on the day of substantial completion. This achievement makes Consol Energy Center the first NHL arena in the U.S. with this distinction – something that should make the Penguins and the city of Pittsburgh proud.

Built by construction manager P.J. Dick-Hunt, A Joint Venture and designed by architect Populous, only facilities that are energy efficient, reduce waste and use recycled materials are awarded such a certification.

Designed to ensure there isn’t a bad seat in the house, the 735,000-square-foot Consol Energy Center stands out from the rest with many unique and upscale features. These include a mix of black and gold seats to give that Pittsburgh feel, a four-sided, 70,000-pound scoreboard, 66 suites, 32 loge boxes and a beautiful view of the Golden Triangle visible from the upper concourse.

Other features of the facility include 795 HD IPTVs throughout the facility, 386 toilets and urinals, two levels of concourses to ease congestion, east and west main concourse clubs, Lexus Club on suite level and an upscale club on the upper concourse. Additionally, there is a team store, seating for 18,000 for hockey, 19,100 for basketball and 20,000 for concerts and over 150 scheduled events per year.

Fans will have many opportunities to explore the new facility in the coming months. In August the Penguins are hosting a series of open houses with the first invitation-only grand opening taking place this Friday. Season ticket holders will have their chance to explore on August 14 and 15.

On August 28, the general public will get their first peek. Starting August 12, the box office will offer $5 tickets with proceeds going to the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation. The first game will take place on September 22 with a preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Completed on schedule and within budget, the P.J. Dick-Hunt, A Joint Venture team has a lot to be proud of. Consol Energy Center has set new standards in NHL facility construction and a big thanks goes out to all the dedicated employees and trades who made this project possible.