The 7,000 fans who packed the University of Texas at Arlington College Park Center witnessed the dawning of a new era Feb. 1, as a spectacular pyrotechnic and multimedia extravaganza christened the striking $78 million special events venue.
UTA College Park Center was designed by HKS Sports & Entertainment Group, architects of Cowboys Stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium and many of the world’s elite athletics facilities. The 218,000-square-foot center features a split-bowl arena that places more seats close to the action and intensifies the fan experience.
More information on NBC-DFW: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/UTAs-College-Park-Center-Opens-138531234.html
Fans will find 7,000 seats in the arena, which includes 600 premium seats below 2,800 square feet of hospitality suites, and bleachers reserved for students. UTA College Park Center will host not only University sports, speakers and commencement ceremonies, but also concerts, entertainment and sporting events, area high school graduations and more.
“UTA College Park Center has the feel of a much larger, professional venue," said David Skaggs, vice president, HKS Sports & Entertainment Group. "This facility is going to be right up there with American Airlines Center in terms of its quality, the kinds of technology offered, and the fan and athlete experience. And, that’s important.
“Competition at the university level for landing top-flight high school athletes is enormous,” continued Skaggs. “Sports venues matter to new recruits – in terms of both athletics and education. UTA College Park Center offers a one-stop shop for games, practice, training and academics. The venue creates a home-court advantage environment and features a center-hung video board and ribbon boards, two practice gyms, a training center, a state-of-the-art media center and hospitality suites. The facility is also a place of higher learning, with a 3,100-square-foot academic center that houses a computer lab, group study room and advising counselor offices for athletes.”
The Green at College Park in Arlington, Texas was named one of the first certified landscapes by the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES), a rigorous new ratings system for site development. The newly finished center is built to LEED Gold specifications. While that's not unusual these days, the inclusion of the new, SITES-certified 2.6-acre Green at College Park within the LEED boundaries makes it a leader in Texas and beyond.
Through an intricate design of flow-through planters, vegetated swales and other water retention features, project leaders reduced the projected storm water runoff from the events center by 25 percent, and plan to filter out 80 percent of suspended solids. In addition, more than a third of the storm water runoff from the 468-acre campus will travel through the Green at College Park site during major storm events.
Among an increasingly crowded field of LEED-certified projects, the UTA College Park Center stands out because of the natural environment incorporated into the design, said Skaggs. “This project was an opportunity to show what could be accomplished when green building practices and environmentally sound landscape architecture are combined.”
The HKS Sports & Entertainment Group, ranked as one of the top sports and entertainment designers by BD World Architecture, has ushered in a new generation of multi-revenue-generating, world-class facilities. The group’s portfolio includes Metrodome Next Venue, Liverpool FC Stadium, Cowboys Stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium, Miller Park and major renovations and additions for U.S. Cellular Field and Dodger Stadium. These venues are known for enhancing and leveraging team brand, delivering an enhanced fan experience, and serving as destination environments. HKS is ranked among the top five architectural/engineering firms, according to Building Design+Construction magazine, and operates from 29 U.S. and worldwide offices. For more information, visit www.hksinc.com.