Last weekend, a steel crown was lifted above the 10th floor of the tower at Hayward Field in Eugene. While work on the tower is visible from several blocks away, much more is happening inside.
The crown depicts famed coach and innovator Bill Bowerman with an unnamed Oregon athlete. Zack Barnett with U of O Communications says, “Over coming weeks the crews will install the panels on the side of the tower and images of four additional track and field icons will emerge.”
He says they’ve also graded the infield for sod and put down a base layer of asphalt for the track, adding, “There’s routinely more than 500 people working on the job site, a lot of those are inside, so it’s not just what you walk by and see.”
Recent finish work includes carpet and tile in the bathrooms, a practice-level track surface, and lighting and speakers on the concourse. The venue’s first scheduled event is the Pac 12 championships, May 16th and 17th.
The University regularly updates information about Hayward Field construction and traffic on their website.
P.S. The other athletes who will be pictured on the tower are: Steve Prefontaine, Raevyn Rogers, Ashton Eaton and Otis Davis.
