Assembly Hall will be replaced; no timetable set

The IU board of trustees reached an agreement Thursday to replace Assembly Hall at some point in the future.\nBut exactly when that new facility, estimated by HOK Sports, a Kansas City-based architecture firm, to cost between $130 and $160 million, could be built is anyone’s guess, because IU currently lacks the funding to construct it.\n“It is the opinion of some people that it is just not the best facility for basketball. If we’re going to have a top-flight program in basketball, we need to have a top-flight facility,” trustee Dr. Clarence Boone said.\nThe decision was made in order to prevent further renovation projects in Assembly Hall, IU Director of Media Relations Larry MacIntyre said.\n“If you go in and put in several hundred thousand (dollars) on an annual basis just to keep it going, it will eventually reach the point where it will either take a major renovation or a better expenditure,” trustee William Cast said. “You don’t need to duplicate all of those things. You can just build a much simpler basketball arena.”\nAssembly Hall does not have the same amenities as other modern basketball arenas, MacIntyre said.\nNo plans have been set for building a new facility to replace Assembly Hall, but MacIntyre suggested that within the next 10 years a facility might be built directly south of Assembly Hall on 17th Street, and upon completion, Assembly Hall could be torn down.\n“They’ve decided that Assembly Hall could not be renovated and bring about the types of improvements that they really want – the basic structure just is not right, the sight lines are not as good as they could be, it does not have any private boxes, it does not have luxury seating or any of the amenities that modern facilities have,” MacIntyre said.\nThe opportunity to name the new facility could encourage donors and speed up the process.\n“The chances are great that (the new) Assembly Hall would be an opportunity to have it named after someone,” Cast said. “A major gift would probably trigger the beginning of putting plans together and set a date for building.”\nAside from donations, Cast said, other revenues may be taken from the athletic department, television contracts and other fundraising.\nNo timetable was set on the project, because the board feels that IU Athletics has enough projects at present, Boone said.\nThe University broke ground on a $55 million undertaking to upgrade its athletic facilities last week.\n“We have other things we have to do right now, and when time allows for us to put forth proper fundraising and planning to do it, the board will look at it then,” he said.\nRight now it is impossible to fund a renovation or replacement of the 35-year-old facility because attention is on other athletic improvements, Boone said.\nMacIntyre said that, while Assembly Hall appears likely to be replaced, such a change does not have to take place immediately.\n“The trustees were advised by Terry Clapacs that Assembly Hall still has several good years left in it, so there is no immediate need to rush into something,” MacIntyre said.