Parking lot to be clear for game

When football fans arrive at Houck Stadium for the game at 6 p.m. today every piece of construction equipment and material used to give Houck Field House a face lift will be out of sight.

Everything will be gone, project manager Tom Hadler said. The contract stipulates the crew must be out by noon today.

The newly empty parking lot will be used for VIP parking.

Southeast Missouri State University sports information director Ron Hines said the remaining work is just finish up work and they need the parking space.

People have become used to parking and tailgating in that area over the last few years, he said.

The area will not be as ready as it could be, Hines said, but it will be good enough for a football game.

"It's certainty ready for football parking and that's what we need," he said.

As far as the construction goes, the setback will only be about a half day's worth of work, Handler said.

Tailgating will not occur in the Houck Stadium parking lot as it has in years past, he said.

People are expected to begin parking around 4 p.m. today. Hines said the school is expecting more than 10,000 people to attend today's game.

A section of Bellevue Street will be blocked off for tailgating and a tent will be set up in front of the south Student Recreation Center.

The College of Education is the academic unit highlighted for the game and they will be giving away watermelon and serving a cake celebrating the 75th anniversary of Houck Stadium, Hines said.

The project is still under its $2.4 million budget and Hadler said he expect the project to be completed by the end of September.

The project was funded from three sources: $926,000 from the systems facilities bond fund; $200,000 from the campus master plan and the remainder came from the city's transportation trust fund.

ameyer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127