Many people that attended the first home football game of the 2011 season noticed the unfinished press box in Aggie Stadium.

Most people who attended the first home football game of the 2011 season noticed that the new Aggie Stadium press box is still under construction.

The superintendent of the construction crew says he is shooting to have the job finished by homecoming.

“I’d rather them do it right than do it fast. I realize that there are setbacks in construction,” said Earl Hilton, A&T’s Athletics Director. “It’s not a real big issue for me. It doesn’t really affect the Athletics Department directly. I’m more concerned about the student athletes.”

The old press box had just one level and was not accessible to disabled people, so the members of A&T’s Facilities Department began to make preparations for the renovation of the press box about a year and a half ago, according to Andy Perkins, assistant vice chancellor of facilities.

“We wanted to set up a window (of time) for the construction where there wouldn’t be too many people around the football stadium and that was April to August,” said Kofi Yiadom, A&T’s university projects manager.

The new 8,260-square-foot press box will be about 50 feet wide, 83 feet high, and 120 feet long and will consist of three levels once it is finished.

The first level will be the media level, where scoreboard operators, reporters, and coaches will be allowed to sit. The second level will be the chancellor’s suite, where Chancellor Martin can invite guests to watch the game. Last year, the chancellor only had a tent.

The third level will be the roof level, for broadcasters and photographers, who will be able to take better photographs and produce better-quality film. A set of leasable suites will also be included in the press box, as well as an elevator. In previous years, people that needed to get to the press box had to go underneath the stadium and then walk up the bleachers.

The entire project costs about $4.9 million, which came mostly from non-university funding and donations. One million went to the press box’s design and furnishing.

About $3 million was initially supposed to go to Kenbridge Construction Company. A&T has already paid the construction company approximately $1.5 million; however, Kenbridge may not get the entire $3 million because of liquidated damages.

Liquidated damages refer to a certain amount of money that is paid by one party because of a breach in contract. This means that because the construction company failed to meet the time requirements within the contract, they may not receive all of the approximate $3 million that was agreed upon.

Every day the press box is not complete, as of Aug. 16, A&T may charge Kenbridge for liquidated damages in the amount of $1,500. But as of now, the decision has not been made to charge Kenbridge for not completing the project on time.

Some tasks have been delayed because of inclement weather such as rain and thunderstorms. Heat has been a factor, with temperatures reaching and even exceeding 100 degrees. The temperature was so high some days that contractors had to wear two layers of heat-insulated gloves to protect them from being burned by the heated steel.

“Health precautions are very paramount. We know that there are always unforeseen things happening in construction, especially with weather,” said Perkins.

“We’ve had a lot of different issues. We’ve had some trouble with scheduling due to weather as well as communication issues with some contractors,” said Leonard Jones, superintendent of the press box construction for Kenbridge.

Kenbridge currently has 20 subcontractors assisting them with the construction of the press box, but recently Kenbridge had to let go of an electrical company because they were not fulfilling the requirements of their contract with Kenbridge.

The construction workers still have to hang sheetrock, put in cabinetry, hang doors, frame windows, prefabricate panels, and install panels before the press box is finished.

A letter was sent from Hilton on Aug. 19 to everyone that purchased season tickets, notifying them of the current renovations of the press box. Season ticketholders that have reserved seating for every home football game were moved about 20-25 feet away from their usual seating because of the temporary tent A&T has had to set up to seat members of the media and game operations.

“A&T has done their part to help us do what we need to do,” Jones said. Jones suffered a heart attack while on the press box construction site, but returned to work just three days later to continue to work on his goal of getting the press box finished before homecoming.

“I want a safe, compliant, and functional facility,” Perkins said. “As long as I see them working hard, I believe in encouraging them.”

• Karmen Robinson,Sports Editor