This rendering was from a year ago, when the proposed athletic facility was a circular addition.
New renderings of UTC's proposed athletic facility include this look of a lobby area.
The proposed UTC athletic facility will be to the left of a newly designed main entrance to McKenzie Arena.The look is different, but the intention is the same.
Designs for a multipurpose athletic facility that would adjoin McKenzie Arena on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus have changed in recent months. The proposed facility will have 35,000 square feet, and 25,000 square feet of the arena will be remodeled.
UTC released the updated renovations Monday afternoon to the Times Free Press.
"It's been changed a little bit to where it's now more of a rectangle sticking out," UTC vice chancellor and athletic director David Blackburn said. "It will have four floors and will match the design of the new library. It will fit right up against the arena, and we will also revamp the main entrance to the arena, which is Gate 1.
"It will have a Hall of Fame to showcase our history, which we don't currently have and is important for what we want to do. It will help the campus look better."
Earlier this month, Tennessee's five-member State Building Commission gave UTC the go-ahead to start planning the facility, which has an estimated cost of $18.5 million.
Blackburn said $8 million to $10 million would need to be raised privately for the facility, which could be completed within three years if everything fell into place. Some of the remodeling is under way, he added, pointing out there were only 17 computers available for 280 student-athletes in the academic services area when he took over in 2013 but that there now are 60.
The design provided to the Times Free Press last year had the addition as a semicircle adjoining Gate 1.
"This is really going to enhance the look of our campus and the appeal for our student-athletes as they come in," Blackburn said. "We compete in the best venues, but we need some serious improvements in terms of our daily foot traffic, or else you'll see us slip.
"It doesn't matter if it's Knute Rockne or John Wooden - young people want to see great bling."
Blackburn said the new facility and arena enhancements could put Chattanooga back in the picture of hosting the Southeastern Conference women's basketball tournament. The SEC women's event was held at McKenzie annually from 1993 to 2000 with the exception of the 1998 tournament, which was held in Columbus, Ga.
"We've told (SEC commissioner) Greg Sankey that we're working on this, and they love the venue," Blackburn said. "It's just a matter of taking care of the SEC Network."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.