Shelby, Coliseum Still on Schedule to Open Late 2010
By Brittany Cosby / Campus Editor | December 3With the semester winding down, construction is moving full speed ahead on the new basketball arena and phase II of the Shelby Center construction.The new arena will have an approximate capacity of 9,600 fans and will include more than 29,000 square feet of space with features including a two-court practice facility, coaches offices, the Auburn University Athletic Ticket Office, an AU Team Store and two food courts."Some of the new features the project will have are a dedicated weight room, separate men's and women's training rooms, 12 tailgate suites, the relocated new and interactive Lovelace Hall of Honor, on-site food prep facility and meeting/conference space for after hours functions," said Brain Hale, project manager for Robins & Morton and construction manager for the project.The Lovelace Hall of Honor will open up with the arena and will be a showplace highlighting the history, accomplishments and current happenings in all the Auburn sports programs.Randy Byars, project coordinator for the Auburn Arena and director of Athletic Facilities, said the project is contracted to be completed in July 2010.He said they are currently ahead of schedule and the arena is approximately 82 percent complete.The seating configuration will offer better sight lines for fans and move them closer to the court, Byars said.The furthest seat will be 43 feet in elevation from courtside compared to 60 feet away at Beard-Eaves."The new arena is radically different from Beard-Eaves," Byars said.