Three Months after Breaking Ground, Aztec Stadium is Taking Shape

SAN DIEGO, CA – The hulking old structure of SDCCU Stadium is still there, but San Diego State University’s (SDSU) Mission Valley Site Development and Aztec Stadium projects look dramatically different three months after breaking ground. Clark Construction is leading efforts to transform a portion of the site into a new sports and entertainment venue, known as Aztec Stadium, to support collegiate football, soccer, concerts, and other events.  

With construction in full swing, the extensive 160-acre development is amidst a dramatic transformation. In November, construction crews began the dismantling of the decades-old SDCCU structure. Abatement activities are fully underway as structural demolition is beginning, a process that is anticipated to conclude by next summer. As part of this effort, Clark has removed and preserved numerous artifacts from the existing stadium, which will be incorporated into the new structure upon completion. Stadium seats are being salvaged to provide San Diego sports fans the opportunity to take home a piece of the historic stadium. Soft demolition has also begun on the pedestrian ramps around the stadium’s perimeter.

Early construction operations are also underway on the new, highly-anticipated 35,000-person-capacity venue. Clark has spent the last several months prepping the site and driving more than 2,000 stone columns below grade. The columns, which range from two to three feet in diameter and measure up to 36 feet long, provide soil stabilization and will help support the stadium’s structural load by transferring the weight of the structure from the foundations into the earth below. On December 5th, concrete crews placed the first 2,300 yards of concrete to form the stadium’s six-foot-think mat foundation, marking another critical early milestone. Vertical construction is anticipated to begin in early 2021.

Clark recently completed shotcrete retaining wall mock-ups, which are set to be tested by structural engineers for compressive and flexural strength, coverage, and finish quality. The mock-ups will serve as models for the future walls around the west side of the stadium bowl, creating space at the event level.

Elsewhere on the expansive site, crews are paving the way for critical infrastructure that will support both the stadium and future Mission Valley development. As part of earthwork operations, soil is currently being imported to build up the site elevation and make way for future streets. The installation of the first permanent site utilities is also slated to begin before the end of the year. These utilities will service the new stadium upon its completion in September 2022.

Aztec Stadium is a key element of SDSU Mission Valley, expanding the university’s San Diego footprint just east of the existing campus. SDSU Mission Valley is slated to include 1.6 million square feet of innovation and research space, 4,600 units of housing, and more than 80 acres of parks and open space. The project continues a longstanding partnership between Clark and San Diego State University that extends back 15 years; it is Clark’s second major sports facility project in San Diego. In 2004, the company completed construction of Petco Park, home to the San Diego Padres.