GCU Arena

Atlanta-based Innovation Sports Marketing began installation of the main scoreboard in the new GCU Arena on Tuesday, adding another piece to a state-of-the-art facility that figures to rival some professional sports venues. The display itself is massive, hanging at the south end above the court. It measures 15 feet tall by 35 feet wide and weighs around three tons.

On Tuesday’s monthly tour of the Arena construction site, Superintendent Neal Baker of Perini Construction said the facility is only 85 days from its scheduled completion by Sept. 1. “That’s exciting to me,” Baker said. “I think I’ll take off work on Day No. 86.”

“This is something that Christians need to be doing more of, not less of,” said the University’s chief executive officer, Brian Mueller, in brief remarks to about 200 people assembled inside the Arena for the short ceremony. At least a few online students, on campus for the week’s convocation and Commencement festivities, were in attendance. “God has blessed us with this building,” Mueller said. “It’s His building. Through the ages, He has wanted His people to remember that He was their God and they were His people. So we’re here to say thank you.”

Tuesday’s job walk revealed an Arena that is coming along ahead of schedule and could be completed by the first of September. Project director Charlie Sirokman also led a tour of the new dormitory, 500-bed Prescott Hall, which is on schedule for an Aug. 1 opening and will be ready for the move-in of students on Aug. 25. “The dedication of people to these projects is amazing,” said Brian McGuire, executive director of the Office of Institutional Research, who has been a regular on the construction tours.

Superintendent Neal Baker and Project Manager Dennis Nelson of Perini Construction led a tour of the Arena construction site on Tuesday afternoon. In the next week, work will begin on the “eyebrow” acoustical feature along the top of the bowl. By the end of April, we can expect to see the all-glass main entrance on the north side start to take shape.

As a few hundred students and staff looked on, the final two steel beams for Grand Canyon University Arena were hoisted into place by crane shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. The ceremonial topping-out marked a historic occasion for the University and the 5,000-seat facility, tentatively scheduled to open on October 1 as the home of the men’s and women’s basketball teams. The Arena also will host concerts and other productions.

The Event Center’s job walks take place at 3:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month and are open to all. To save a spot, call Jessica Ertell in Event Services at 639.6194.

More than 300 staff and guests assembled in for the groundbreaking of GCU’s 5,000-seat Event Center. The Event Center is scheduled to open in the fall of 2011.

When architect Tom Reilly whips out a pen and starts drawing an early version of GCU’s Event Center on paper, it is clear this is more than just another building to him and his team of talented designers and engineers.

Whatever you do, don’t call it a gym.