Arizona State University and Sun Devil Athletics recently announced all required approvals have been received for the commencement of construction on a new multipurpose arena, which will host university and community events and serve as the future home for Sun Devil men's ice hockey, wrestling and women's gymnastics. This project continues the development of the Novus Innovation Corridor, and will be sited south of Rio Salado Parkway on the east side of Packard Drive, immediately north of the existing Packard Drive Parking Structure.
The 5,000-seat venue will be managed and operated by Oak View Group; SCI Architects have designed the arena, while Mortenson Construction will serve as the design builder.
Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2021, with full completion projected for December 2022.
"Mortenson is proud to partner with Arizona State University to bring their vision to life," said Vice President, General Manager of Mortenson Ben Goetter. "This is a momentous time for these programs, and we are excited to play a part in this transformational project. Together, with Arizona State University and our partners, we have worked hard to get to where we are today and we are excited to break ground."
In addition to housing Sun Devil Athletics' events and competitions, the multipurpose arena, which also includes an adjacent community ice rink, will serve as a public venue for the university and community to host concerts, conferences, youth competitions, educational opportunities and more. The second full-size ice sheet will also be accessible to students, the community and youth ice hockey programs at every level, providing an additional public sheet to one of the fastest-growing states for youth hockey participation in the country. The addition of the multipurpose arena positions the Novus Innovation Corridor to host group events in sizes ranging from 50 to 55,000 people.
"We're thrilled to be selected as the team that will manage, operate and secure additional programming and content for the new home of Sun Devil hockey, wrestling and women's gymnastics," said Peter Luukko, chairman of Oak View Group Facilities. "We look forward to working with Ray and his ASU Athletics Department in creating an electrifying atmosphere inside the new ASU multipurpose arena."
The seating configuration for the multipurpose arena includes 20 luxury suites, two group suites, a large club lounge and event-level premium club seats. The club lounge will consist of a Center Ice Club on the main concourse that runs along center ice and can host up to 500 fans. On the 300-level, a social deck will run the length of the east side of the venue, providing an open-air, aerial view of the arena where fans can interact while still experiencing exceptional sightlines to the competition. The arena would also be able to serve as a backup for sports played on hardwood, such as volleyball.
Additionally, a 942-seat student section will occupy the entire west side of the venue to provide an enhanced gameday experience for ASU students.
"This venue will not only provide an elite student-athlete experience, but will be an asset to our community and continue to bring life to the Novus Innovation Corridor," said Vice President of University Athletics Ray Anderson. "There has been so much work done behind the scenes to get to this point, and we look forward to debuting it to our fans and the local community."
More than 8,000 sq. ft. is set aside for a ASU locker room, weight room, lounge and coaches' offices on the north side of the arena. Eight additional locker rooms are accounted for on the west side of the arena between the main arena and community ice sheet that can be utilized for visiting teams, youth programs, ASU club programs, and live events.
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