Daily Digs: Adidas Arena in Paris, Beeghly Center Arena Upgrades, and More

The Adidas Arena at Porte de la Chapelle in Paris, France, which was inaugurated Sunday, is the first (and only) built for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, located in a multicultural working-class neighborhood, the Associated Press reported. 

The venue will host badminton and rhythmic gymnastics events during the 2024 Olympics and is expected to be part of broader efforts to revitalize local communities. For the Paralympics, it will also host badminton and weightlifting events.

The facility cost about 138 million euros ($150 million) and required 1,500 tons of steel.

Christened the Adidas Arena through a lucrative partnership worth approximately 2.8 million euros ($3 million) per year with the sportswear brand, the venue can host up to 8,000 spectators for an array of sports events and live performances.

The arena will become the home of the Paris Basketball club.

The multipurpose Beeghly Center arena at Youngstown State University in Ohio that's home to Penguins basketball, volleyball and swimming teams will undergo one of its largest upgrade projects since it opened in 1972.

Beginning May 6 after spring commencement, YSU will replace the upper and lower seats on both sides of the Beeghly Center with new red seatbacks.

Additional safety components also are part of the new seating, including handrails up and down the aisles and stairs and guardrails on the bottom rows of each tier. There also will be additional walking room for foot traffic between the upper and lower tiers, as well as wider staircases.

More projects:

• In West Point, N.Y., the Army West Point Athletics Association and the West Point Association of Graduates have obtained the initial private funding required to start construction in the spring of 2024 for the Michie Stadium Preservation Project. Anticipated to be finished in summer 2026, the project will reconstruct and modernize the existing east stands. EwingCole programmed, planned and designed a dynamic, modern and eco-friendly East Stands complex that synthesizes the project’s physical requirements and sensitively binds them to its historic and majestic site. Notable enhancements encompass premium seating options and upgraded concessions. The Corps of Cadets seating section will extend from one end zone to the other, positioning the cadets as a central focus and an enthusiastic source of game-day support for the athletes on the field. The surrounding landscape will be reconfigured to enhance accessibility and capitalize on the breathtaking views of Lusk Reservoir, the Cadet Chapel, Fort Putnam, and the picturesque Hudson Valley. Throughout construction, Michie Stadium will be open for various events, including men's and women's lacrosse, football, graduation and special occasions.
  
    
• In Maine, Bangor's new ice arena and recreation center could cost $52.6 million to $56.3 million based on a conceptual design, the Bangor Parks and Recreation Department said at a city council workshop Monday. The 92,000-square-foot recreational center and ice arena proposed to be built on Griffin Road would replace and combine multiple aging facilities and add services residents say they want. 

The Daily Digs from Athletic Business' AB Today e-newsletter is a weekday spotlight on new or announced athletics facilities projects. 

To submit a facility for consideration, send details to the editorial team at: [email protected]. 

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