The Georgia Tech Business Network hosted an informational meeting update Tuesday night called Thrillerdome 2.0 detailing the reconstruction of the Alexander Memorial Coliseum (AMC), which will now be called The Hank McCamish Pavilion (HMP).
The McCamish family has previously donated to Tech anonymously, but their name will be used in this $15 million donation. The total estimated cost for the pavilion is $45 million, as approved by the Board of Regents last Oct.
Tech Athletic Director Dan Radakovich began the meeting by sharing updated photos and information about the reconstruction of the facility.
Radakovich reviewed the reasons for the reconstruction, detailing the cost to the Athletic Association of maintaining the AMC. Short-term, midterm and long-term costs totaled approximately $23 million in repairs.
The HMP aims to qualify for a few different construction standards. One goal is to qualify for the LEED certification. Water will be collected on the roof and stored in cisterns underground for irrigation purposes.
Other LEED points will be gained by replacing fixtures in the bathrooms, a lighting system that will turn off automatically at midnight and have scheduled times to turn on for games and practices. A new water-based cooling system will also be set up, which will have mechanical features to preserve energy when the facility is not being used.
Another set of construction standards the arena is hoping to meet are the the ones set by the American Disability Association. Therefore, the facility will require an installation of a mile’s worth of railing.
Trevor Pitt, from Whiting-Turner Contracting, leads the reconstruction as project manager. A Tech alumnus, Pitt highlighted that 90 percent of waste from the reconstruction will be recycled.
The interior of the arena will have many changes, specifically to the concourse. All concessions will be located on one side of the concourse, while the other side will include a view into the playing area. The width will be increased so that more people can travel through the concourse. The concourse will not cover the full perimeter of the stadium.
In the seating and court area, new features will be added such as a four-sided scoreboard and benched, backed seating. A new court will be installed, but the Cremins Court title will remain. The seating capacity will hold approximately 8800 seats, about 300 seats less than AMC.
Currently, over 20 Tech alumni are involved in the reconstruction project. Seven are on the design team, seven on general contracting, four in mechanical engineering and five in electrical engineering.
Construction will begin in April after the men’s team’s last home game against Miami on March 7. The demolition is to occur in the beginning of July. The HMP is scheduled to open Oct. 2012.
As for the 2011-12 basketball seasons, the men’s team will be playing 14 games at Philips Arena, and the women’s team will be playing at the Gwinnett Arena.
The Alumni Association and Georgia Tech Real Estate Alumni Group jointly hosted the event, sponsored by Whiting-Turner Contracting. Radakovich also discussed the exterior features of the building. The new facility will eliminate the current gates currently surrounding the perimeter of the property in effort to make the complex more inviting.
The HMP will include a courtyard that can hold crowds up 450-475 people to socialize before the games. The courtyard will be named the William Alexander Courtyard to honor the former football coach.
The event included a panel discussion featuring Sachin Shailendra, the president of SG Contracting, Norman Friedman, associate principal of Populous and Trevor Pitt, AMC project manager for Whiting-Turner Contracting.
The architectural firm, Populous, has previously worked on projects such as the Yankee Stadium, New York Mets Citi Field, Philips Arena and the Bobby Dodd Stadium addition.
Other Athletic Association construction materializing on campus includes the football practice field coming this Aug., a new tennis facility and a potential revamp of the golf facility for the men’s golf team.
Radakovich noted that Tech rebuilds its facilities for new people coming to Tech. According to Lucius Sanford, director of the Letterwinners Club, there is also a motive to build to appeal for perspective student-athletes. As prospective recruits consider which school to attend, a new basketball facility could go a long way towards convincing them to attend Tech.