Temple To File Project Submission For On-Campus Football Stadium
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Temple University took a big step on Thursday with its plans for an on-campus football stadium.
University President Richard Englert announced they will file a project submission to the City Planning Commission for approval for a multipurpose facility that includes the stadium.
"We have said from the start that our first priority has been to engage with our neighbors and local leaders to determine the potential for, and impact of, this facility," said Englert. "After more than two years of these discussions, and in light of the project's tremendous value for Temple and North Philadelphia, I have concluded that the time is right to take this step."
The proposed $130 million football stadium has been fiercely opposed by some community leaders, and a group of neighbors and students who call themselves the Stadium Stompers.
The process to get an on-campus football stadium began in February 2016, when the university's Board of Trustees authorized preliminary studies and designs for a multipurpose retail and stadium project.
The proposed 35,000-seat stadium would be located on the northwest corner of Temple's main campus.
Temple says they have been collaborating with community leaders to address their concerns.
"These discussions have been invaluable not only in terms of the proposed facility but also in helping us understand and develop better working relationships in the community," Englert said in a statement. "It is important for us to be better neighbors, and we have taken a number of steps to address community issues as a result."
Opponents of the project say that a stadium would create a traffic nightmare on game days and displace longtime residents.
