This would be a shame to lose.
renovate or build anew?
Assembly Hall's fate uncertain
Indiana University trustees to decide if new basketball facility will be needed.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University faces a tough decision on the fate of its basketball arena, top university officials said Thursday.
It would take at least $50 million to renovate Assembly Hall and up to $123 million to fully modernize it. But replacing the arena with a new basketball venue has the potential to rankle alumni and students proud of the building's history.
Trustees won't make a decision for several months, but trustees President Steve Ferguson said after hearing the cost estimates he would opt for leaving Assembly Hall as is or building a new basketball venue.
"It seems obvious from the (report) today that redoing this one makes no sense," he said.
The trustees did not specify where money for an Assembly Hall project would come from at their monthly meeting Thursday. Trustees are discussing adding luxury suites that would bring in revenue and the possibility of selling naming rights to the arena.
J. Terry Clapacs, the university's vice president for administration, said when he started reviewing the facility's condition, he favored keeping it because it is only 36 years old. But he and an architect then listed a daunting number of challenges from a building designed in the 1950s and formally dedicated in 1971.
The trustees will receive another report in June that presents options for building a new arena.
"I think they should keep it because of all the history," said Dean Wyatte, a senior from Plainfield who will graduate this week.
Cont'd...http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070504/SPORTS0601/705040477/1247/SPORTS
renovate or build anew?
Assembly Hall's fate uncertain
Indiana University trustees to decide if new basketball facility will be needed.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University faces a tough decision on the fate of its basketball arena, top university officials said Thursday.
It would take at least $50 million to renovate Assembly Hall and up to $123 million to fully modernize it. But replacing the arena with a new basketball venue has the potential to rankle alumni and students proud of the building's history.
Trustees won't make a decision for several months, but trustees President Steve Ferguson said after hearing the cost estimates he would opt for leaving Assembly Hall as is or building a new basketball venue.
"It seems obvious from the (report) today that redoing this one makes no sense," he said.
The trustees did not specify where money for an Assembly Hall project would come from at their monthly meeting Thursday. Trustees are discussing adding luxury suites that would bring in revenue and the possibility of selling naming rights to the arena.
J. Terry Clapacs, the university's vice president for administration, said when he started reviewing the facility's condition, he favored keeping it because it is only 36 years old. But he and an architect then listed a daunting number of challenges from a building designed in the 1950s and formally dedicated in 1971.
The trustees will receive another report in June that presents options for building a new arena.
"I think they should keep it because of all the history," said Dean Wyatte, a senior from Plainfield who will graduate this week.
Cont'd...http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070504/SPORTS0601/705040477/1247/SPORTS