SAVAGE RENOVATIONS START THIS WEEK

March 3, 2008 - Although some renovation work has already started on the interior and exterior of Savage Hall, construction will begin in earnest on March 5, the day after the final men's home basketball game.

The scheduled finish date for the project is November 15, in preparation for the building opening on December 1. The two-week lag will insure that the building functions properly for the first event.

"The workers will begin on the bowl area," said AD Mike O'Brien. "One of the first things that will happen is that they will begin to take out the seats on the west side where the suites will be located."

Although the suites and loges are important as far as generating revenue, O'Brien said that the project is really about the student-athletes and fans. A few of the fan-friendly amenities will be a video scoreboard that will also show team statistics, concession stands that will feature high-quality food, a new Hall of Fame and a merchandise shop which will be open during the week, not just on game days. "It's just going to be more conducive to fan enjoyment," O'Brien said.

The sale of suites, loges and club seating has been going very well, with a number of individuals and businesses that have suites at the Glass Bowl also opting to purchase similar seating at Savage Hall.

The lower bowl area of the building will be "premium seating" except for the student areas. The center sections will require a $350 per seat annual Rocket Fund gift plus the price of the season tickets. Corner seats will be the least expensive with a $75 annual gift, plus tickets. O'Brien said that the pre-game meetings that have been taking place this season, have given fans an opportunity to talk about their seats for next season now. "We don't want panic to set in next fall." he said.

The total seating for the building will be just over 8,000, with many seats being lost in the upper level on the west side of the building, although some lower-level seats will be added as the corners are filled in. In order to comply with ADA regulations, aisles will have to be wider, which will also eliminate some seats.

While construction is taking place, UT's teams will need new spaces to practice and play games. The Student Recreation Center will be the main practice venue for the basketball teams, although area high schools could provide some practice sites. Games are scheduled to be on the road until the building opens. Practice and game venues for volleyball have not yet been finalized. Some possibilities could be high schools, Owens College or the SeaGate Center.

The men's home basketball schedule for 2008-09 promises to be one of the the best ever for the Rockets. Although an opening opponent hasn't been finalized, it promises to be a "big name" team. Also on the schedule will be Dayton, Rhode Island, Houston, UMass and Illinois-Chicago. It will certainly be a season that Rocket basketball fans won't want to miss.

**  For updated photographs during the construction process, check the Savage Hall Construction Photos post at the top of The Rocket Report message board . Look for new photos every week.