Miami Director of Athletics David Sayler provided an update on the project during a presentation to the board Friday and noted it was still in the exploratory phase.
“We are in a unique and dynamic time for Miami University Athletics,” Sayler said. “It is time to innovate, invest and inspire. A new arena benefits all of Miami and will serve as a gateway and beacon for the university.”
The projected cost for the arena construction is about $242 million, with up to $281 million authorized by the board for the arena and associated costs, according to a Miami University press release.
The arena has been subject of debate, with many who oppose it saying the recreational green space’s relative closeness to campus residence halls has lent itself to wide usage over decades for thousands.
Miami officials have countered, since first proposing the new arena site last year, that an alternative recreational field would be constructed with superior facilities near the current northern campus border location.
Students and faculty gathered at Marcum Center, where the board of trustees met Friday to discuss the arena, to show “unified opposition to the board’s refusal to consider students, faculty and librarians in their decision making,” according to the Faculty Alliance of Miami.
“The new debt will affect students directly,” a release from FAM said. “Student fees pay for nonacademic building debt — especially concerning at a time when tuition is already too costly, interest rates remain high, and student high school populations are declining, putting enrollments — and thus revenues — at risk."
The new arena will include a practice court, volleyball arena and main court designed for multiple uses, meeting the needs of multiple athletic teams, student activities, events and organizations, according to the resolution passed. It is also expected to include additional revenue generation opportunities that Millett Hall cannot accommodate, according to a press release.
The resolution also stated that by constructing a new arena instead of renovating Millett Hall, the “very difficult and expensive task” of finding a temporary home for Miami’s basketball and volleyball teams can be avoided.
Approving the new arena could lead to a developer-constructed hotel and restaurant built nearby, according to school officials.
Proceeding with the construction, the university has taken on $281 million in debt that will require authorization from the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
Millett Hall has received renewed attention and sell-out crowds since the fall, including some rare nationally televised games, as the Miami’s men’s basketball team has gone undefeated making it currently the only Division I team in America with a perfect record.
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