The University of Oregon has pushed back the renovation of Hayward Field for a year, citing the need to accommodate planning that has taken longer than expected.
The decision appears tied to a delay in the replacement of a nearby cellphone tower, which school officials said needed to be completed by Aug. 1 for the renovation of Hayward Field to begin. Construction of the new tower, which will be the tallest structure on campus by 51 feet, is expected to finally move forward later this month.
“With a project of this scale and turnaround time from start to finish, we wanted to make sure our plans were not only worthy of this global icon of track and field but also limited disruptions to scheduled events and the UO track and field team,” Paul Weinhold, president and CEO of the University of Oregon Foundation, said in a news release. The UO Foundation is managing the renovation project.
