Sign In

UMBC's New $85M Arena Is Set To Break Ground In February

UMBC's New $85M Arena Is Set To Break Ground In February
A rendering of the planned UMBC Event Center

University of Maryland, Baltimore County's planned $85 million event and athletic center took a key step forward on Wednesday after receiving funding approval from the state's spending board.

The Maryland Board of Public Works voted to approve a request for $29.4 million for site work, infrastructure, concrete and electrical, precast stadia construction and steel work for the event center to be built on the southwest Baltimore County campus.

The project is expected to break ground in February, a UMBC official said Wednesday. It will take 21 months to complete and open in winter 2017.

Baltimore-based Barton Mallow Co. is the contractor.
    
The event and athletic center will be used for sporting events, commencement, concerts and public speaking events. The 172,000-square-foot building will have capacity to hold 5,000.

Currently, UMBC holds its large spring commencement exercises at the Royal Farms Arena downtown because of a lack of space on campus, a UMBC spokeswoman said.

The space will also be the site for future NCAA sporting events and for practices for UMBC's men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball teams.

The UMBC Retrievers are a NCAA Division I school and members of the America East Conference.

The request before the Board of Public Works was for the first phase of the development.

Your Say:
Name:
Location:
Email Address:

(email address will not be visible after approval)
Website:
(example:www.example.com)
no comments posted.