Birmingham-based program management firm HPM announced the topping out of Bank Independent Stadium at the University of North Alabama (UNA), marking the placement of the final structural beam. HPM is serving as program manager for the $65 million multipurpose facility, which is under construction on UNA’s campus in Florence. The project, which began in June 2024, is expected to be completed by Fall 2026 and will be the university’s first dedicated stadium.

Bank Independent Stadium will feature Bobby Wallace Field, a three-level press tower with concessions, restrooms, suites, a club level, and a “home tunnel” connecting the home locker room to the adjacent Flowers Hall. The venue will redevelop the athletic complex that previously included the UNA turf practice field, Mike D. Lane Field, and band practice field, incorporating UNA’s football, baseball and soccer teams, and marching band into the reimagined design. In addition to athletic practices and sporting events, Bank Independent Stadium is designed to enrich the city with concerts, live performances, and other community events.

As part of a separate package, HPM will also oversee the addition of a 2,760 square foot video board for the stadium to use during games and community events. Construction is soon starting at the northeast end of the stadium.

“Bank Independent Stadium is a long-awaited project that the community has been excited about since its announcement, and HPM is proud to help bring the school’s dynamic vision to life along with our numerous design and construction partners,” said Matt Ernst, Senior Project Manager at HPM.

HPM is working closely with UNA to provide specialized services from pre-construction through completion, including oversight of budgeting, scheduling, design management, bidding, and construction oversight. The project is split into multiple packages, which required careful sequencing to ensure the practice field was completed before the stadium work began, along with a mass excavation package, which included recessing the football field approximately 15 feet below the existing grade. The excavated dirt was then used as fill material across the site for the future baseball field. This design will provide 360-degree concourse access, allowing fans to circulate the facility without having the stadium structure block their view.

“Today’s topping out is one of many milestones in the construction of Bank Independent Stadium that UNA and North Alabama Athletics will be celebrating,” said Dr. Josh Looney, Director of Athletics at UNA. “We continue to work closely with our partners at HPM to ensure timelines and each phase fall into place on schedule. Our student-athletes, coaches, and staff are eager to use this great facility to enjoy football, soccer, and baseball games.”

This project represents the first partnership between HPM and the University of North Alabama. Additional project partners include Davis Architects as the architect, Ampere as the sports consultant, and Fite Building Company as the general contractor for the football stadium package.