ESPN.com reports that Birmingham-based Capstone Development Corp. – which has built student housing for 14 years - plans to construct luxury sports condominiums in places such as Baton Rouge and Green Bay, Wisc.
"This is a concept that will take tailgating to the next level," said Will Bru, who is co-director of project development with Kent Campbell, both Capstone senior vice presidents.
Capstone's first development is scheduled for early 2005 in Baton Rouge, outside LSU's Tiger Stadium. The project could be completed by the start of the 2005 football season.
The firm plans to build condos on four college campuses as well as outside the Green Bay Packers' Lambeau Field. Other developments set for next year include sites in Starkville, Miss., home of Mississippi State; Manhattan, Kan., home of Kansas State; and Louisville, Ky., home of the University of Louisville.
"These will be loft-style units with one bedroom, a large entertainment area, allowing owners to custom-design them as they want," Bru said. "We're getting calls from buyers all over the country interested in these."
Buyers will have their choices of condos ranging from $150,000 to $600,000, depending on the area with places like Green Bay being most expensive and Starkville more affordable, Bru said. Each development will be less than a mile from the stadiums and include retail stores and coffee shops.
A rendering of the Baton Rouge development shows four-story and three-story buildings designed to resemble the French Quarter. "Lots of LSU fans love New Orleans so we wanted to capitalise on that," Bru said.
