Tag: arena

Press Release: PPL Center Development Named Finalist in 2017 ULI Global Awards for Excellence

Posted on July 3, 2017 by - Uncategorized

The PPL Center

Sink Combs Dethlefs is honored to announce that the Allentown Development was selected as a finalist for the 2017 ULI Global Awards for Excellence, which is known as one of the development industry’s most prestigious award programs. Information about the selection from the ULI website is below.

For the list of all 25 finalists in the Global Awards for Excellence, click here.

For more information about the awards and how the finalists are selected, click here.

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Downtown Allentown Revitalization District- 2017 Global Awards for Excellence Finalist

Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States
Owners/developers: Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority, Hammes Company, City Center Investment Corp. et al.
Designers: Sink Combs Dethlefs Architects, Elkus – Manfredi Architects, et al.
Site Size: 10.3 Acres

Allentown is the third largest city in Pennsylvania. While Pittsburgh and Philadelphia revitalized, Allentown continued to decline – until recently. Today, Allentown is the fastest-growing city in Pennsylvania, thanks in large part to an innovative state law that created the Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ). The anchor of the revitalization is a 5.3-acre block containing PPL Center, a 10,000-seat multipurpose arena, with an integrated mixed-use development including retail, dining, health/wellness, hotel, commercial office, two historic buildings, and structured parking. The Arena Block redevelopment features extensive adaptive reuse and reactivation of the historic Dime Bank Building, which anchors the arena’s main entrance and also serves as the lobby of the Renaissance Allentown Hotel.

Following significant initial public investment in the Arena Block, additional investment by private developers has reversed Allentown’s decline and transformed it into a sought-after destination to live, work and play. Since its completion in 2014 by the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone Development Authority, the Arena Block redevelopment has been the catalyst for extensive additional private development, led by City Center Investment Corp. City Center’s major mixed-use development, City Center Lehigh Valley, is helping re-position downtown Allentown into a regional center of excellence for business, culture and metropolitan living. City Center includes more than 1 million square feet among three Class A office towers, the Renaissance Allentown Hotel, the STRATA West apartment tower, The Shops at City Center, restaurant space, historic renovations, a co-working space and more than 1,500 parking spaces. City Center’s total investment in downtown Allentown is $400 million, with additional development of office, residential, retail and green space underway.

The Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center featured in High Point University Magazine

Posted on June 1, 2017 by - Uncategorized

The High Point University Magazine Spring 2017 issue was recently released and it included a featured article about the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center. High Point’s own president and first lady, Nido and Mariana Qubein,  graciously donated $10 Million towards the project which goes to show the commitment they have to the University.

Sink Combs Dethlefs and CJMW have been working together on the design of the Arena and Conference Center.

 

“Here at High Point University, we are focused on the art of the possible,” Qubein says. “People have asked how we succeeded in the midst of the greatest recession of our time. We had faith and we had courage, and when you put those two things together, you have faithful courage. With faithful courage, amazing things continue to unfold for the HPU family.”

 

You can find the article in the Spring 2017 issue at the following link – High Point University Magazine

SCD Project Page Link – Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center

Press Release: Major Renovation To UD Arena Will Benefit Fan Experience

Posted on May 11, 2017 by - Uncategorized

University of Dayton Arena Renovation

DAYTON – The University of Dayton is embarking on a $72 million renovation of its arena. The transformation of University of Dayton Arena will occur in three phases – from 2017 to 2019.

The environmentally conscious project has been approved by the University’s Board of Trustees and will be privately funded through philanthropy, corporate sponsorships, external private and business partnerships, ticket revenue and general university support. Gifts from lead donors are enabling the construction to begin now while fundraising continues.

“This is not just a renovation; it’s a transformational project,” said UD Vice President/Director of Athletics Neil Sullivan. “UD Arena will turn 50 years old in 2019. For it to serve the community and as the home for Flyers basketball – as well as NCAA Tournament games – for the next several decades, it requires a bold, significant upgrade.

“The soul of the arena will be maintained for all the reasons you have always enjoyed its at-home atmosphere,” added Sullivan. “Yet at the same time it will feel like a new arena when construction ends in the fall of 2019.”

This critically important project will result in a state-of-the-art facility. The end results of the renovation will greatly enhance the fan and student-athlete experiences and dramatically improve the infrastructure while maintaining the current seating capacity.

The Arena is an iconic community resource with an economic impact of upwards of $10 million annually. In addition to Flyer men’s and women’s basketball games, high school tournament games and the NCAA First Four, it is used for competitions such as the Winter Guard International World Championships, entertainment events, large-scale educational seminars and as a staging area for community projects.

The Arena is the cornerstone in every UD students’ time as a Flyer – it’s the first University building they see as they exit Interstate 75 when they come to campus for the first time. And it’s the building in which they receive their diplomas when they graduate.

“UD Arena is special to the University community for far more than just basketball. The transformed arena will enhance those special events that mark important milestones in our students’ lives,” said UD President Eric F. Spina. “It’s where first-year students gather and pray with their families as they begin their UD journey and where, four years later, they celebrate their graduation.”

While there will be some modest disruption, it will not interrupt any basketball season, and all home games will be played at UD Arena. Dayton will also host the NCAA First Four through at least 2022.

“This signals a continued investment in our basketball programs and another step toward continuing to position Flyer basketball teams on a national level,” said Sullivan.  “(Former UD Director of Athletics) Tom Frericks’ vision took us from a facility most schools, back then, would have been happy to call their own, to one of the best basketball venues in the country. Much like he did 50 years ago, we are preserving our tradition while looking to the future.

“This was a thoughtful and inclusive process that we took very seriously,” added Sullivan. “We studied a multitude of options and identified the most fiscally responsible plan. We surveyed our fans, season-ticket holders and donors. We talked to people in the community and on campus. We consulted with industry leaders and experts.”

Sometime during the renovation, Flyer fan No. 10 million will pass through the turnstiles. A total of 9,688,443 fans have attended 812 University of Dayton men’s basketball games since the Arena first opened on December 6, 1969. Dayton defeated Bowling Green 72-70 on that date, the first of 609 Arena wins. The Arena has also been the site of 117 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament games, 34 more than any other tournament host.

The project’s architectural firm of record is Hastings & Chivetta Architects Inc. based out of St. Louis. Hastings & Chivetta were also the architects for the University’s RecPlex and the Helix Innovation Center. The design architects are Sink Combs Dethlefs, an industry leader in sports renovation projects with offices in Chicago. The original building contractor, Danis, is also the contractor for the renovation. Danis’ Dayton headquarters are less than 10 miles from UD Arena.

For more information, please visit www.transformUDArena.com, where you’ll find:

  • Photos/renderings
  • Details of the plans for UD Arena
  • Details of the revised seating and ticket price structure
  • Answers to frequently asked questions
  • Virtual video walk through of the proposed transformed UD Arena

#UDArena

SCD Project Page: Dayton Arena