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
| Aug 13, 2013
USGBC joins forces with Green Sports Alliance to promote sustainable venues
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced a collaboration with the Green Sports Alliance, a prominent nonprofit organization supporting the development and promotion of green building initiatives in professional and collegiate sports.
| Jul 29, 2013
2013 Giants 300 Report
The editors of Building Design+Construction magazine present the findings of the annual Giants 300 Report, which ranks the leading firms in the AEC industry.
| Jul 19, 2013
Renovation, adaptive reuse stay strong, providing fertile ground for growth [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Increasingly, owners recognize that existing buildings represent a considerable resource in embodied energy, which can often be leveraged for lower front-end costs and a faster turnaround than new construction.
| Jul 3, 2013
World's biggest freestanding building opens in China
Measuring a stout 100 meters high, 500 meters long, and 400 meters wide, the New Century Global Centre in the Tianfu New District of Chengdu, China, is officially the world's largest freestanding building.
| Jul 3, 2013
Mall of America will double in size after $2.5 billion expansion
The nation's largest indoor mall will undergo a $2.5 billion, 10-year expansion project that will add attractions like an NHL-sized skating rink and an indoor water park.
| Jul 2, 2013
LEED v4 gets green light, will launch this fall
The U.S. Green Building Council membership has voted to adopt LEED v4, the next update to the world’s premier green building rating system.
| Jul 1, 2013
Report: Global construction market to reach $15 trillion by 2025
A new report released today forecasts the volume of construction output will grow by more than 70% to $15 trillion worldwide by 2025.
| Jun 28, 2013
Building owners cite BIM/VDC as 'most exciting trend' in facilities management, says Mortenson report
A recent survey of more than 60 building owners and facility management professionals by Mortenson Construction shows that BIM/VDC is top of mind among owner professionals.
| Jun 13, 2013
7 great places that represent excellence in environmental design
An adaptive reuse to create LEED Platinum offices, a park that honors veterans, and a grand national plaza are among the seven projects named winners of the 2013 Great Places Awards. The Environmental Design and Research Association recognize professional and scholarly excellence in environmental design, with special attention paid to the relationship between physical form and human activity or experience.
| Jun 5, 2013
USGBC: Free LEED certification for projects in new markets
In an effort to accelerate sustainable development around the world, the U.S. Green Building Council is offering free LEED certification to the first projects to certify in the 112 countries where LEED has yet to take root.