Populous Selected for University of Arkansas’ Basketball Practice Facility

The University of Arkansas has announced that it has selected Populous to design its new basketball practice facility. This building was recommended as part of Populous’ athletic master plan completed in Oct. 2011.

“The University of Arkansas’ commitment to the development of their athletic facilities will help the University to remain highly competitive in the Southeastern Conference over the coming years,” said Ryan Sickman, Populous Project Manager. “With the athletic master plan and design of the basketball practice facility, Populous will be an integral part of those efforts.”

The basketball training facility will be located directly across from Bud Walton Arena and will be comprised of separate men and women’s gymnasiums and locker rooms, weight room, training facilities, offices, coaching suites, meeting rooms and a players’ lounge. The preliminary estimated cost of the 70,000-85,000 square foot building is between $20-25 million.

Populous’ Athletic Facilities Master Plan identified a need for the basketball training facility. Populous, together with partner MAHG Architecture, plan to break ground in 2013 on the basketball training facility and will work with CDI Constructors, a Fayetteville-based company, who will serve as the general contractor for the project.

“The basketball practice facility will help us match and exceed the facilities of competing institutions,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long said. “Partnering with Populous allows us to utilize their extensive experience in the collegiate market to create a basketball practice facility that will aid us in recruiting and create a place for our men and women’s basketball student-athletes to call home.”

With offices around the globe, including Kansas City and Denver, Populous is a global architecture firm that specializes in arenas, stadiums, ballparks and convention centers. The firm has completed work for more than 130 colleges and universities on projects including football stadiums, arenas, ballparks, training facilities and athletic master plans, like the one completed in Oct. of 2011 for the University of Arkansas.

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