In 2021, the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minn., became the first Division III institution in the modern NCAA to transition directly to Division I. Plans for a new multipurpose sports arena on campus will support that move.
The Lee and Penny Anderson Arena project, including practice facilities, will serve as the new home for the school’s men’s and women’s hockey and basketball programs. It is scheduled to break ground in 2024, with a target opening in fall 2025.
Ryan Companies US, Inc., was selected as the design-builder, in partnership with Crawford Architects. The new arena complex will provide competition and training facilities for men’s and women’s athletics, and house commencement ceremonies, academic convocations, conferences, career fairs, and other events for the university and broader community.
Preliminary design concepts envision seating configurations that accommodate quick conversions between various athletic and university events. Spectators will be on top of the action, as intimate seating and balconies will create a home-team advantage that will enhance the game-day experience for players and fans.
The exterior design of the sports arena will represent an intersection of the school’s collegiate Gothic architecture and a more modern aesthetic. LEED Silver certification will be pursued.
“St. Thomas has been evolving from small Catholic liberal arts college to a comprehensive national Catholic university, and the Lee and Penny Anderson Arena will be a powerful engine for that journey,” said St. Thomas President Rob Vischer.
The university recently announced that it received a $75 million gift from Lee and Penny Anderson of Naples, Fla., for the arena. The donation is the single largest monetary gift ever given to a Minnesota university.
On the building team:
Owner: University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn.
Design architect: Ryan A+E, Inc. (design studio of Ryan Companies US, Inc.)
Sports architect: Crawford Architects
MEP engineer: IMEG
Structural engineer: Meyer Borgman Johnson
General contractor: Ryan Companies US, Inc.
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Dec 3, 2020
2020 Sports Facilities Sector Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. sports facilities sector
Kimley-Horn, Mortenson, and Populous top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest sports facilities sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2020 Giants 400 Report.
Building Team Awards | Oct 20, 2020
Winning with teamwork
The new home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, Chase Center, is honored with a Gold Award in the 2020 Building Team Awards.
Arenas | Oct 20, 2020
Co-op Live will become the UK’s largest arena
Populous is designing the project.
Giants 400 | Aug 28, 2020
2020 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
The 2020 Giants 400 Report features more than 130 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Arenas | Jan 27, 2020
Sacred Heart University to build $60 million hockey arena
JLG and S/L/A/M Collaborative are designing the project.
GIANTS 19 PREMIUM | Dec 23, 2019
Top 65 Sports Facilities Engineering Firms for 2019
Walter P Moore, Kimley-Horn, ME Engineers, Thornton Tomasetti, and EXP head the rankings of the nation's largest sports facilities sector engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
GIANTS 19 PREMIUM | Dec 23, 2019
Top 90 Sports Facilities Architecture Firms for 2019
Populous, HKS, HOK, Gensler, and HNTB top the rankings of the nation's largest sports facilities sector architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2019 Giants 300 Report.
Arenas | Oct 10, 2019
SWA designs people-centric landscape and public realm for Chase Center
Chase Center is the new home of the Golden State Warriors.
Arenas | Oct 8, 2019
Populous submits proposal for AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano stadium
The stadium is designed to be the most sustainable in Europe.
Arenas | Jul 12, 2019
Arenas on campuses aren’t just for sports anymore
Several ARC-designed projects give the firm’s academic clients more event-hosting flexibility.
