Alex Bozich 12/06/2014 6:42 pm in Media

On Friday at its December meeting at IU Southeast in New Albany, the Indiana University Board of Trustees approved the capital improvements project for renovations to Assembly Hall.

Plans to renovate IU’s basketball home, which opened in 1971, were announced last year after a $40 million dollar gift from Cindy Simon Skjodt. Since that time, the university has been in the planning stages for the renovations, which are slated to begin on April 1, 2015 and are scheduled to be completed by October 2016.

At the Board of Trustees meeting, a design summary for the renovations was presented with the following goals:

– Create a dramatic new entry sequence that enhances image and presence.

– Leverage Assembly Hall’s iconic qualities to renew the facility’s relevance.

– Provide new and renewed event amenities to improve the game experience.

– Celebrate the accomplishments of IU Athletics through a new interactive portrait gallery.

– Integrate the athletics campus with a new exterior plaza.

The scope of the south lobby addition will include:

– Event suites with event space for 275 occupants, support space and arena box seating with 112 seats (groups of six). 3,600 square feet will be dedicated to the event suites, 550 square feet to support space and 1,300 square feet to arena box seating.

– A new vestibule and ticketing window area.

– New restrooms and general storage areas along with improved disabled access and family restrooms.

– Athlete’s atrium with a multimedia graphic display and interactive digital archive.

Also listed in the presenation was a five-point renovation scope, including:

– Concourse & Concessions Renovations

– Accessible Seating Improvements

– Restroom Accessibility Upgrades

– Arena Glass Guardrails

– Sports Graphics/Signage

The plans also included several sketches and floor plans, which are included in a gallery below:

Filed to: Assembly Hall