SAVAGE HALL PLANS ANNOUNCED

June 26, 2007 - Plans for the renovation of Savage Hall were announced today in a press conference that took place in the building's west lobby.

There will some considerable changes to the building, and the designs from Toledo firm SSOE are very different from the "fly-through" animation that was on the athletic department's web site for a number of months.

The exterior of Savage will remain much as it is now, but with a new entrance to the Grogan Room and a large addition on the west side of the building that will be the new main entrance. Bump-outs on the north and south of the building from previous designs will not happen, and also gone is the circular glass entrance on the northeast portion of the building.

"We've been waiting a long time for this day", said Toledo AD Mike O'Brien. "We're here today to talk about one of the most significant undertakings in UT athletic department history. One that positively effects every sport. The one thing we've been very consistent on is that we want to make this a better experience for our students athletes and for our fan base."
 

The renovations, which will cost about $30 million, will include a 5,600 sq.ft. weight room, new locker rooms with meeting rooms and lounges, a new training room that will be three-times larger than the current one, an 1,100 sq.ft. pro shop and a "Varsity T" Hall Of Fame area. $27 million has already been raised for the project.

Other interior changes include new seating with chairback seats in most areas in a bowl configuration. However, student seating areas on the north and south sides will remain bench seats. The total seating will drop to about 8,000, although the bowl shape will provide better sight lines with more fans closer to the court.

The east and west lower seats will partially retract, so that two full courts can be used. They will be in an east-west configuration, opposite the orientation of the main court.

Numerous opportunities for premium seating will also exist within the building, mostly on the west side. They include twelve suites, fourteen loges, 178 courtside seats and a totally renovated Grogan Room.

A major change is the west entrance that will include a large glassed-in area and an expansive meeting area for fans, including the Hall of Fame and pro shop. Preliminary work on that area will begin late this fall and will mostly involve site preparation. After the 2007-08 basketball season, work on the interior will start immediately. The arena will open in late fall of 2008 in time for the 2008-09 basketball season.

Preliminary plans have also been started for an attached indoor practice facility. It is anticipated that it will be completed in 2009, according to O'Brien.