In the coming months, the University of Tennessee‘s Thompson-Boling Arena will be overhauled in several areas.
Most of the upgrades will focus on locker room space, with January marking the first month for the multi-phased project. Work will begin by adding space on the west side of the arena, where four locker rooms–including space for opponents of both basketball teams, Tennessee volleyball, and other performers–will be added.
On the current schedule, renovations to Tennessee basketball’s men’s and women’s locker rooms in the north section of Thompson-Boling Arena will begin in May. Arena officials, who are also planning overhauls to some fan amenities, say the projects will be compelted without disruption to Thompson-Boling Arena’s event schedule. More from Local 8 Now:
“These facilities will greatly improve the student-athlete experience at Thompson-Boling Arena, making it second to none,” Arena Manager Tim Reese said. “The building will be upgraded tremendously, the team and athletic training areas will be top notch, and the renovations will have an incredibly positive impact on the student-athletes who train, compete and spend so much of their time here.”
Visitors to the arena will notice an increased number of public restrooms along the concourse on the east and west ends of the arena along with the repair and renovation of existing restrooms.
“These changes bring several environment benefits,” Reese said. “We’ll be greatly reducing the amount of water used in restrooms while expanding available space for visitors to the building.”
Public parking for events at the arena will not be affected during the renovation work.
“As work is ongoing, visitors to the arena may observe some of the construction in progress, but arena events will not be impacted and no closure is expected,” Reese said.
These changes to the 29-year-old Thompson-Boling Arena are also expected to improve several student-athlete facilities, including a training center for both basketball programs.
