The Board of Regents on Thursday approved the second phase of renovations and an expansion of Crisler Arena.
“The renovations will take our classic facility and make it a first-class, modern venue that will be among the best in the country,” Athletic Director Dave Brandon said. “Our goal is to create a home court advantage for our teams while making the fan experience memorable from the moment they walk into the arena.”
The expansion will add approximately 63,000 gross square feet for new fan entrances, additional retail spaces and ticketing areas, as well as a private club space.
The renovation will improve seating for people with disabilities and provide expanded and renovated concourses to allow for an increase in restrooms, concessions and other fan amenities. All seats throughout the arena will be replaced.
Athletic resources and gifts will fund the $52 million project. The construction schedule for the second phase will be presented to the regents when approval is sought for the schematic design.
TMP Architecture, assisted by Sink Combs Dethlefs, will begin the design work immediately. Those firms designed the new $23.2 million Basketball Player Development Center, which is scheduled to be completed later this year.
In October 2010, the Board of Regents approved the first phase of the Crisler renovation at a cost of $20 million. This initial phase addresses the highest priority infrastructure needs such as repair of the roof, electrical, plumbing and air handling systems.
During the last decade, improvements to Crisler Arena have included renovations to the men’s and women’s locker rooms, new lighting and sound systems, installation of courtside seating and updates to the strength and conditioning areas.
Construction of Crisler Arena initially was completed in 1968.
