SEFCU (Broadview) Arena Rehab

April 2023

Background \ Overview:

The existing retractable bleacher system at the SEFCU Arena was in disrepair and had reached the end of its useful life. Some sections were inoperable and unsafe at that time and repairs were unable to be made. Due to the age of the system replacement parts were unavailable. Additionally, the former bleacher configuration was not favorable for viewing athletic events as those venues in similar Division I basketball arenas. As early as 2009, Heery Design (now part of SLAM Sports Group) developed a study looking at short- and long-term seating options and configurations to help improve sightlines and develop varied spectator options like loge and club seating, utilize both fixed and retractable seating to create a more arena bowl-like configuration with increased ADA seating options to greatly improve the fan experience.

Project Description:

The current project includes the removal of all outdated and unsafe existing bleacher seating systems and several sections of the mezzanine level to allow for the new arena design. The new configuration will be a combination of fixed and retractable bleacher seating systems on all four sides. Almost all seating sections will have seatbacks for greater fan comfort with the exception of the west retractable bleachers, which will be more traditional bench style. Additionally, the existing basketball competition court flooring (currently in a north-south orientation) will be removed and replaced with new to allow for the competition court to rotate to an east-west direction. The practice courts will remain in place. A major addition to the project will be the new Men’s and Women’s team/locker rooms located under the fixed seating section at the north. This allows for the teams to be closer to the court on gamedays and have improved student athlete amenities including a lounge space, kitchen prep area, and an auditorium style meeting space for coaching sessions. The new arena will now have additional arena storage areas, VIP seating, club areas on both the arena and main levels, all contributing to a totally new look for the arena. New Athletics and Broadview Federal Credit Union branding will be part of the upgrades. With updated AV and broadcast systems, more robust Wi-Fi, and additional improvements, this venue will raise the level of this Division 1 venue.

Project Dates:

• Project Design Complete – March 2022
• Project Mobilization and Construction start – August 2022
• Project Completion – Late Fall 2023

Project Progress (as of April 2023):

New structural steel and concrete slabs to support the fixed seating and enlarged mezzanine areas is nearly complete in the arena. Framing of the storage areas and team room areas is ready to begin. Electrical and plumbing work continues. Painting of the ceiling structure is nearly complete, and work is being done to relocate the center-hung scoreboard required by the court re-orientation.

Project Photos \ Renderings:
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