Skyrocketing construction costs have forced the University of Alabama to pause plans for a 10,400-seat arena to replace Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa.
According to the Tuscaloosa Thread, the UA Board of Trustees approved a $183 million arena, but the cost of some construction materials has skyrocketed in the 18 months since approval.
UA president Stuart Bell told the Thread prices are still too high in 2024 to pick the project back up.
"What an exciting project that is, but we have to make sure the timing is right," Bell said. "It is amazing - and not in a positive way - what has happened to construction prices over the last two years. We continue to work towards that project but there are some hard points there, some hard parts we're going to have to be able to address."
Bell reiterated how important the new arena is for the school.
"There's a lot of excitement for that, but we know we've got to get in a better spot for construction costs. Anytime you start a project, you've got to be able to finish that project and we need to make sure that's what we do here, too," Bell said. "I will tell you, the fan base response and donor support for that project are remarkable. There's a hunger to make sure that we meet the needs of those sports in the same way that we've done in many other venues on campus."
