The still-unnamed arena is ahead of schedule, but it still won't be ready for Auburn until July 7, 2010, so basketball fans have another year of having to endure BEMC for another season before moving into what is expected to be the cozy confines of the 9,600-seat arena, which is 900 seats fewer than the Tigers' current arena.
Here are a bunch of pictures I took during the tour with a description under each:
Here's the exterior. This if facing north from in front of Beard-Eaves. If you'd scroll to the right, you'd see Jordan-Hare Stadium.
We in the media just put our hard hats on and go to work every day. It felt like we were part of a Paul Rhoads defense, if only for an afternoon.
Our fearless tour guide Randy Byars, Auburn's director of athletics facilities planning, an excellent source of information.
This is entering the Southwest corner of the arena. The scaffolding on the right is approximately where Auburn will have its locker rooms. 
This is the first of many shots of the giant crane in the center of the arena. In about a week, the first pieces of the roof will arrive and this crane, along with several on the outside will begin putting it in place. Byars said the plan is for the roof to be dried in by the first part of summer.
This is the South end of the arena, where the giant crane in the previous photo will be taken out once the roof is in. This is the lower bowl, which will have approximately 1,500 student seats. 
Looking East, you can see Jordan-Hare Stadium in the background. In the middle, workers are busy fastening the seating planks, which Byars said should nearly be complete by next week. Below the concrete wall at the bottom of the screen will be a 450-seat section called the Courtside Club, which will be the fanciest seats in the place, with access to a large lounge area that is underneath the concourse. The other three sides of the lower bowl -- South, West and North -- will be student bleacher seating.
A look down one of the unfinished concourses, where concession stands will be. The arena will have its own kitchen, so Auburn plans to expand its menu past your usual hot dog-hamburger-pizza combination.
The dining area of the new arena on the North end. You can see some of the student housing in the background that wraps around to the West side. Those units are expected to be done by next year.
Another shot of the crane looking Southeast. You can tell where they left an opening to get this beast out of the arena. Just behind the crane is where the media room will be, which I'm sure is at the top of the list of what everyone cares about.
Byars liked to point out that, unlike BEMC, you can see the court from the concourse area. This means you'll be able to get concessions and not be so far removed from the game that you don't know what's going on on the court.
A view of the monstrosity that is Beard-Eaves from the upper level of the new arena. Byars said it is up in the air, but the building is most likely destined for demolition sometime in the next five years. The student housing in the area will be completed next year and the new arena the year after that, so it's got to wait it's turn. What's going in its place? There are a couple proposals out there. It could be open space, with some outside fields and courts. Byars said there is a possibility of building a parking deck for the parking-starved campus with a recreational-type area on top. Nothing is official yet, though.
Jordan-Hare once again. The new arena looks it will have a big set of windows on the East side of the building, so Auburn fans will never be able to get football out of their minds, as if that was a problem to begin with.
Looking North from the upper level. A few things here. First, the concrete portion of the arena is nearly done, so the crew is planning to throw a little concrete-finishing party next week to celebrate. There are 1,700 seats in the upper level. Because of the configuration and overhang, these seats are actually closer to the surface of the floor than the back of the lower bowl. What's interesting is that the roof of the building will not be much higher than the steel beams sticking up from the concrete. Like I said, this place is very compact and, Auburn hopes, noisy. The ceiling is so low that the Tigers are going to have to find a new solution for the banners hanging in the old arena. There simply isn't enough room to keep them in the new place.
Another look South. Again, this place is not very big. "This place is not built for concerts," Byars said. "This thing is built for basketball, and everything will be focused on that."
A blue print, possibly Gene Chizik's.
These next few shots are some artist's renderings of the arena. The upper left picture in this shows Tiger stripes across the seats. That's not happening. The sections will have either blue or orange seats. Not striped ones, although that would have been cool.
And we'll end it with an artistic picture. Fin.
4 comments:
I think they should name the new basketball arena "Jim Fyffe Fieldhouse" or the "Jim Fyffe Forum". I like the first one better personally. The fact that we have nothing to show for the Auburn legend blows my mind. "Oh my!! Hello Abbyville Alabama" What do you guys think about possible names for the new complex?
Please don't refer to BEMC as a monstrosity. I had many great times in that building watching Auburn win but mostly lose. It looks like those who were for renovating BEMC were wise compared to the 92 million dollar montrosity that will have some corporate name...at least we know colonial bank won't have the money to purchase the name rights LOL! Great blog otherwise! I hope Auburn doesn't go bankrupt.
You might have had some good times at the BEMC, but you've got to admit it's an eyesore on this campus.
BEMC is not a monstrosity or any eyesore. It is actually quite endearing. To me, the amazing thing is that $92 million will get you a building just like BEMC, only now you can watch the game from the concessions. What a waste. The only thing that may save it is if we do what Adam suggests, name it after Jim Fyffe.
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