New Projects: Intuit Dome, Indy Eleven Soccer Stadium, Iowa State Scheman Building, Vanderbilt Basketball Training Facility, KU Locker Room and Weight Room, Large Esports Virtual Arena

Breaking Ground

Intuit Dome, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers, in Inglewood, Calif., hit a milestone in March with the ceremonial raising of the final steel beam into the ceiling and the team’s first look at the arena under construction. When it opens for the 2024-25 NBA season, the basketball-centric arena, entertainment venue and outdoor plaza will offer an intimate and intense live event experience with all the comforts of home. The 17,700-seat facility has five full-size basketball courts and a 38,375-square-foot Daktronics Halo Board — the largest-ever double-sided halo display in an arena setting. Parking, arrival, entry, merchandise and concessions will leverage technology to create a hassle-free fan experience.

Rendering courtesy of Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University athletics has started on a new basketball training facility. The facility will be a four-story, 90,000-square-foot building featuring identical upgraded facilities for both the men’s and women’s teams. The upgrades will include new practice gyms, locker rooms, a shared new weight room and a dining space. Separate practice courts for both teams will make it easier to schedule practices than the current arrangement of sharing gym space. The first-floor space will be used by the men’s team, and the third-floor space will be used by the women’s team. The basketball facility is expected to be completed by the summer of 2024 for use starting with the 2024-25 season.

Crews at the University of Kansas were expected to break ground in April on renovations to the locker room and weight room at Anderson Family Football Complex. The project, headed by design firms HNTB and Multistudio, will expand the locker room to 8,000 square feet and feature Longhorn Lockers with “super custom” cushioned seats, an embroidered head rest and reclining features. The enlarged 15,000-square-foot weight room will have 18 platform weight racks engrained with elements of the Kansas football culture, including different logos, expressions and sayings.

First Pitch

Rendering courtesy of PopulousThe United Soccer League Championship league’s Indy Eleven and the Keystone Group have unveiled plans for a new multipurpose stadium. With an expected capacity of around 20,000 seats, the stadium will serve as the new home for Indy Eleven, situated in the center of a downtown Indianapolis development. With Populous leading design and Browning Day as architect of record, the stadium is designed for fan experience and relation to its site. The design wraps the exterior of the stadium in a dynamic, color-changing facade that reflects the forward-looking nature of the development. The stadium is anticipated to be completed in 2025.

The Iowa State University athletics department has received permission from the Iowa Board of Regents to develop comprehensive plans for a $10 million to $12 million renovation of the Scheman Building. The improvements will focus on creating an event space that can be used to enhance all events at the 48-year-old facility, as well as the game-day experience for Cyclone Club members attending events next door at Hilton Coliseum. Paid for by athletics department revenue, the upgrades could be completed as early as the 2024-25 academic year if final regent approval is granted.

Grand Openings

Located 30 minutes from Dallas, the new 5,000-square-foot Esports Virtual Arena — claiming to be the largest in the United States —has opened, offering ultimate virtual reality gaming experiences. The free-roam arena allows up to 10 players to participate in numerous game types, as well as provide players live-streaming capabilities plus a full bar and restaurant.