You can’t tell from the outside, but renovations at Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse are underway.
Days after the university’s graduation ceremonies this past month, construction crews began tearing down portions of the 85-year-old facility as part of a two-phase renovation plan announced in 2012.
The arena listed on the National Register of Historic Places is still open — a basketball camp is taking place there this week — but initial construction will continue through March 2014.
The project’s first elements include demolishing a little-used pool to create new space for offices, a weight room and an academic center. The will-call ticket office and concession stand that used to occupy the southwest entrance are also gone, leaving the original brick and steel beams exposed to create wider concourses.
Senior project manager Craig Hardee said when the renovations are complete, the arena, which has hosted six presidents and countless basketball games, will be recognized for its past and be more accessible to fans, students and athletes.
“We want to make Hinkle more Hinkle and have it modern enough to be 21st century,” he said.
When both phases of the project are complete by the 2014-15 season, the fieldhouse will have a slightly reduced capacity with additional chair-backed seats, wider concourses and new bathrooms.
according to indystar.com
