In 2021, the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minn., became the first Division III institution in the modern NCAA to transition directly to Division I. Plans for a new multipurpose sports arena on campus will support that move.
The Lee and Penny Anderson Arena project, including practice facilities, will serve as the new home for the school’s men’s and women’s hockey and basketball programs. It is scheduled to break ground in 2024, with a target opening in fall 2025.
Ryan Companies US, Inc., was selected as the design-builder, in partnership with Crawford Architects. The new arena complex will provide competition and training facilities for men’s and women’s athletics, and house commencement ceremonies, academic convocations, conferences, career fairs, and other events for the university and broader community.
Preliminary design concepts envision seating configurations that accommodate quick conversions between various athletic and university events. Spectators will be on top of the action, as intimate seating and balconies will create a home-team advantage that will enhance the game-day experience for players and fans.
![University of St. Thomas Lee and Penny Anderson Arena Renderings courtesy Ryan Companies, Crawford Architects North Quadrangle Day View](/sites/default/files/inline-images/University%20of%20St.%20Thomas%20Lee%20and%20Penny%20Anderson%20Arena%20Renderings%20courtesy%20Ryan%20Companies%2C%20Crawford%20Architects%20North%20Quadrangle%20Day%20View.png)
The exterior design of the sports arena will represent an intersection of the school’s collegiate Gothic architecture and a more modern aesthetic. LEED Silver certification will be pursued.
“St. Thomas has been evolving from small Catholic liberal arts college to a comprehensive national Catholic university, and the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena will be a powerful engine for that journey,” said St. Thomas President Rob Vischer.
The university recently announced that it received a $75 million gift from Lee and Penny Anderson of Naples, Fla., for the arena. The donation is the single largest monetary gift ever given to a Minnesota university.
On the building team:
Owner: University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn.
Design architect: Ryan A+E, Inc. (design studio of Ryan Companies US, Inc.)
Sports architect: Crawford Architects
MEP engineer: IMEG
Structural engineer: Meyer Borgman Johnson
General contractor: Ryan Companies US, Inc.
![University of St. Thomas Lee and Penny Anderson Arena Renderings courtesy Ryan Companies, Crawford Architects St. Thomas - Basketball Practice Facility](/sites/default/files/inline-images/University%20of%20St.%20Thomas%20Lee%20and%20Penny%20Anderson%20Arena%20Renderings%20courtesy%20Ryan%20Companies%2C%20Crawford%20Architects%20St.%20Thomas%20-%20Basketball%20Practice%20Facility_Final%20R2.jpg)
![University of St. Thomas Lee and Penny Anderson Arena Renderings courtesy Ryan Companies, Crawford Architects Basketball](/sites/default/files/inline-images/University%20of%20St.%20Thomas%20Lee%20and%20Penny%20Anderson%20Arena%20Renderings%20courtesy%20Ryan%20Companies%2C%20Crawford%20Architects%202023_0110%20-%20Basketball_Final_V1.jpg)
![University of St. Thomas Lee and Penny Anderson Arena Renderings courtesy Ryan Companies, Crawford Architects - Graduation ceremony](/sites/default/files/inline-images/University%20of%20St.%20Thomas%20Lee%20and%20Penny%20Anderson%20Arena%20Renderings%20courtesy%20Ryan%20Companies%2C%20Crawford%20Architects%202023_0110%20-%20Graduation_Final_V1.jpg)
![University of St. Thomas Lee and Penny Anderson Arena Renderings courtesy Ryan Companies, Crawford Architects Auxiliary Ice Arena](/sites/default/files/inline-images/University%20of%20St.%20Thomas%20Lee%20and%20Penny%20Anderson%20Arena%20Renderings%20courtesy%20Ryan%20Companies%2C%20Crawford%20Architects%20Auxiliary%20Ice%20Arena%20R2.jpg)
![University of St. Thomas Lee and Penny Anderson Arena Renderings courtesy Ryan Companies, Crawford Architects Enlarged Site Plan](/sites/default/files/inline-images/University%20of%20St.%20Thomas%20Lee%20and%20Penny%20Anderson%20Arena%20Renderings%20courtesy%20Ryan%20Companies%2C%20Crawford%20Architects%20Enlarged%20Site%20Plan.jpg)
![University of St. Thomas Lee and Penny Anderson Arena Renderings courtesy Ryan Companies, Crawford Architects Fireplace Gameday View](/sites/default/files/inline-images/University%20of%20St.%20Thomas%20Lee%20and%20Penny%20Anderson%20Arena%20Renderings%20courtesy%20Ryan%20Companies%2C%20Crawford%20Architects%20Fireplace%20Gameday%20View%20-%202023_0111.png)
![University of St. Thomas Lee and Penny Anderson Arena Renderings courtesy Ryan Companies, Crawford Architects Tower Entry Winter View](/sites/default/files/inline-images/University%20of%20St.%20Thomas%20Lee%20and%20Penny%20Anderson%20Arena%20Renderings%20courtesy%20Ryan%20Companies%2C%20Crawford%20Architects%20Tower%20Entry%20Winter%20View.png)
![University of St. Thomas Lee and Penny Anderson Arena Renderings courtesy Ryan Companies, Crawford Architects North Quadrangle Night View](/sites/default/files/inline-images/University%20of%20St.%20Thomas%20Lee%20and%20Penny%20Anderson%20Arena%20Renderings%20courtesy%20Ryan%20Companies%2C%20Crawford%20Architects%20North%20Quadrangle%20Night%20View.png)
![University of St. Thomas Lee and Penny Anderson Arena Renderings courtesy Ryan Companies, Crawford Architects Grand Avenue Entry View](/sites/default/files/inline-images/University%20of%20St.%20Thomas%20Lee%20and%20Penny%20Anderson%20Arena%20Renderings%20courtesy%20Ryan%20Companies%2C%20Crawford%20Architects%20Grand%20Avenue%20Entry%20View.png)
Related Stories
| Apr 29, 2014
USGBC launches real-time green building data dashboard
The online data visualization resource highlights green building data for each state and Washington, D.C.
| Apr 11, 2014
ULI report documents business case for building healthy projects
Sustainable and wellness-related design strategies embody a strong return on investment, according to a report by the Urban Land Institute.
| Apr 10, 2014
Collegiate sports becoming greener: Survey
A survey conducted from May through June 2013 by the University of Arizona Office of Sustainability and published by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)* finds that more collegiate athletic teams are adopting green and sustainable practices in operation of their sports facilities.
| Apr 9, 2014
Colossal aquarium in China sets five Guinness World Records
With its seven salt and fresh water aquariums, totaling 12.87 million gallons, the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park is considered the world’s largest aquarium.
| Apr 9, 2014
Steel decks: 11 tips for their proper use | BD+C
Building Teams have been using steel decks with proven success for 75 years. Building Design+Construction consulted with technical experts from the Steel Deck Institute and the deck manufacturing industry for their advice on how best to use steel decking.
| Apr 2, 2014
8 tips for avoiding thermal bridges in window applications
Aligning thermal breaks and applying air barriers are among the top design and installation tricks recommended by building enclosure experts.
| Mar 26, 2014
Callison launches sustainable design tool with 84 proven strategies
Hybrid ventilation, nighttime cooling, and fuel cell technology are among the dozens of sustainable design techniques profiled by Callison on its new website, Matrix.Callison.com.
| Mar 25, 2014
Sydney breaks ground on its version of the High Line elevated park [slideshow]
The 500-meter-long park will feature bike paths, study pods, and outdoor workspaces.
| Mar 20, 2014
Common EIFS failures, and how to prevent them
Poor workmanship, impact damage, building movement, and incompatible or unsound substrate are among the major culprits of EIFS problems.
| Mar 13, 2014
Do you really 'always turn right'?
The first visitor center we designed was the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center for the Everglades National Park in 1993. I remember it well for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the ongoing dialogue we had with our retail consultant. He insisted that the gift shop be located on the right as one exited the visitor center because people “always turn right.”