As McKenzie Arena approaches its 30th birthday, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is working on plans to give the facility a major face-lift.
Athletic director Rick Hart said the retractable seats in the lower seating area will be replaced and a curtain system will be installed for the upper deck. The goal, he said, is for the work to begin following the 2011-12 basketball season.
“We haven’t bid it yet, but we’ve established a general budget and the funding for that’s been set aside,” Hart said.
Because the bid process won’t begin until after the Tennessee State Building Commission approves the project, Hart said he was hesitant to guess the total cost. However, he estimates that it “will probably be in the $1 million range.”
The renovations will be paid for by the university.