When it comes to an upcoming Wells Fargo Arena renovation, Arizona State University stresses that it wants to take a simple approach to the project.
Under a $160-million project recently approved by the Arizona Board of Regents, Wells Fargo Arena will receive a major overhaul. The upgrade is expected to improve both fan and player amenities, and modernize some key features of a facility that first opened in 1974.
ASU continues to plan the upcoming renovation, and it is offering some details of the approach that it will likely take. According to ASU president Michael Crow, the school will likely take a simple approach that is similar to the one used by UCLA to renovate Pauley Pavilion. While the some details the renovation still need to be pinned down, Crow says for now that he expects it to come in under $75 million. More from The Arizona Republic:
ASU President Michael Crow, though, said he wants a “simple” renovation of the basketball arena that in his estimation should cost less than $75 million.
“What I’m after something not fancy, really nice,” Crow said in a March 1 interview with azcentral sports. “Like Pauley Pavilion. We’re not going to have any suites. We’re going to have great amenities. I don’t know what that costs, but it’s going to be less than $75 million.”
UCLA spent $130 million to renovate Pauley Pavilion, a 30-month project finished before the start of the 2012-13 basketball season. That included adding 70,000 square feet to the building, which opened in 1965.
Renovations to Wells Fargo Arena are expected to begin next year. Along with the arena renovation, the $160-million project cost includes the construction of a new 5,000-seat indoor venue. That facility will be designed to host multiple sports, including hockey, gymnastics, and wrestling.
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