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.
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.
Related Stories
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jan 24, 2023
Nashville boasts the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. and Canada
At 30,105 seats and 530,000 sf, GEODIS Park, which opened in 2022, is the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. and Canada. Created by design firms Populous and HASTINGS in collaboration with the Metro Nashville Sports Authority, GEODIS Park serves as the home of the Nashville Soccer Club as well as a venue for performances and events.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 15, 2022
Community centers reinforce a town or city’s sense of place
The intersection of a community with its natural surroundings is one key to a successful design of community centers, according to a new 24-page paper titled “Creating a Wellness Culture,” about the benefits of this building type, cowritten by HMC Architects’ Civic Practice Leader Kyle Peterson, and Director of Design James Krueger, who used three of their firm’s recent projects to buttress their thesis.
Retail Centers | Nov 29, 2022
'Social' tenants play a vital role in the health of the retail center market
After a long Covid-induced period when the public avoided large gatherings, owners of malls and retail lifestyle centers are increasingly focused on attracting tenants that provide opportunities for socialization. Pent-up demand for experiences involving gatherings of people is fueling renovations and redesigns of large retail developments.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 75 Sports Facility Engineering and EA Firms for 2022
Alfa Tech, AECOM, ME Engineers, and Walter P Moore head the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 110 Sports Facility Architecture and AE Firms for 2022
Populous, HOK, Gensler, and Perkins and Will top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 60 Sports Facility Contractors and CM Firms for 2022
AECOM, Mortenson, Clark Group, and Turner Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Nov 7, 2022
Gilbane, Turner, Populous tapped to design and build new Buffalo Bills stadium
The joint venture of Gilbane Building Company and Turner Construction Company, in association with 34 Group, has been selected to provide construction management of the planned new NFL stadium for the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y. The project team also includes the project management firm, Legends Project Development, and Populous as the designer.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 8, 2022
Chicago Bears unveil preliminary master plan for suburban stadium district
As the 2022 NFL season kicks off, the league’s original franchise is fortifying plans to leave its landmark lakefront stadium for a multi-billion-dollar mixed-use stadium district in northwest suburban Arlington Heights.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 90 Construction Management Firms for 2022
CBRE, Alfa Tech, Jacobs, and Hill International head the rankings of the nation's largest construction management (as agent) and program/project management firms for nonresidential and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 200 Contractors for 2022
Turner Construction, STO Building Group, Whiting-Turner, and DPR Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest general contractors, CM at risk firms, and design-builders for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
