The future looks promising for a new arena at Saint Louis University. University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., announced the board of trustees approval of the construction in a press conference on Sunday, Feb. 23 in the Bauman-Eberhardt Center.
‘We”re adding a front door, a gathering space that will welcome students, the SLU family and the entire St. Louis metropolitan community to come to campus and to cheer with us, learn with us and share Midtown with us,’ Biondi said.
The construction is contingent upon raising $45 million in private donations. Total costs are projected to be at least $70 million.
Although SLU students are chipping in $100 annually for the current renovations of the Busch Memorial Center, students should not see an increase in tuition to pay for the new arena. The construction was approved with the stipulation that it is to remain ‘budget-neutral,’ meaning that the cost of constructing and operating the new building must be supported by revenue generated from the building itself, not from the University”s tuition budget.
A total of $7 million has been committed, to date, for the project. The required $45 million has to be in pledges and gifts before the groundbreaking. In addition, approximately $15 million of the cost for the arena will come from the Grand Center tax incremental financing district. The TIF district takes new tax revenue from an area and pumps it back into the district through such projects as the arena and many others. The Grand Center TIF was approved by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen on Feb. 7.
The fund-raising effort for the new arena will be led by Michael F. Shanahan Sr., chairman and CEO of Engineered Support Systems, Inc. and SLU trustee emeritus. The Shanahan family has personally contributed $1 million to the project.
Biondi could not provide a specific location for the arena, saying only that it will be ‘on or near campus,’ likely located near the Olive Garage. The naming of the new arena has not been determined at this time.
He also addressed the current scheduling stipulations with the Savvis Center, the current location for men”s basketball games and commencement. SLU”s events are third in scheduling priority behind the St. Louis Blues hockey team and annual events scheduled at the center.
Three main reasons were given in support of the project:
First, the scheduling of basketball games and other events will be controlled by SLU. Difficulties have arisen from time conflicts with other games and events at the Savvis and also with television broadcasting.
Second, an arena on campus will create a better collegiate environment and a place that students can call their own.
Third, an arena will level the playing field from a recruiting standpoint.
With the construction and improvement of Grand Center and the addition of a new arena, SLU officials believe the midtown area will have a more ‘college-town’ atmosphere.
The new 12,000 to 13,000-seat arena will serve multiple purposes, including hosting SLU events such as men”s and women”s basketball, commencement, cultural events, conferences and conventions. Additionally, the arena will provide a mid-sized venue for concerts, family shows, sporting competitions and other events.
‘Most of all, I”m happy for our students,’ Biondi said. ‘This arena will give them a true, home-court advantage for our team, a place for their events and even an on-campus site for their graduation. It will be truly theirs for generations to come.’
A university group will continue working on various aspects of the arena plan during the fund-raising campaign. Once the goal is achieved, the design and construction time is estimated at 26 months.
Biondi said that the best-case scenario would be six months for the fund-raising campaign and then the additional 26 months for the construction the new arena. The arena could be on campus and open by the 2005-2006 school year.
‘I”m obviously very excited,’ said Mike Rozier, president of the Student Government Association. ‘We”ve been talking about this since election last year. To have this become reality is wonderful. From talking to students, a big complaint is the lack of school spirit. This will be a big step in the right direction to improve that.’
SLU students have a range of opinions in regard to the construction of a new arena.
‘I think since we already have a building that works, then we should just keep it instead of spending more money,’ said SLU sophomore Bridget Verrett.
‘I don”t go to games often since it is off campus and so far to go,’ said SLU senior Katie Sailer. ‘But I”d be more willing to go if it was within walking distance.’
But the effect of building a new arena goes beyond the SLU community. Frederick D. Medler is the vice president of the Urban Design Forum and curator of the historic R.H. Stockton House. He has concerns about the building of an arena in Grand Center or in the Locust loft district north of campus.
‘I like the idea of building a new arena,’ Medler said. ‘But the possible demolition of historic homes horrifies me.’
Medler believes that building the arena close to these areas will monopolize the available parking and hurt small businesses. He suggests building the arena in a location close to parking garages and within easy access to the highway to avoid the need for street parking and traffic jams.
‘Have people really thought about how this will impact the area?’ Medler said. ‘I don”t have all the solutions, but there are problems that need to be addressed.’
