Aaron Beard of ESPN recently published a good piece that provided an update on the renovations taking place inside Reynolds Coliseum.
North Carolina State has spent more than a year giving a new look to tradition-rich Reynolds Coliseum, yanking out thousands of seats and moving the court to make room for new team offices and a sports walk of fame.
That $35 million project to add modern touches to a nearly 70-year-old campus arena is closing in on a long-awaited completion. ESPN
NC State is anxiously awaiting the completion of this project, especially members of the Women’s Basketball Team, Gymnastics, Volleyball, and Wrestling teams. All of these teams were displaced as construction started in March 2015 and caused all of these team to compete at temporary venues.
The construction revealed some distinct features as they were doing some demolition as well…
We had to selectively (demolish) parts of the building but leave other parts,” said Jim Estep, the construction project manager. “Then we had to take new materials, new steel, new walls and integrate them into what’s here.”
Along the way, they found reminders of the building’s history, too. That included uncovering the rubber-like Tartan basketball court that was permanently installed in the 1970s. The free-throw lane, midcourt block-S logo and the word “State” along the red baseline are still visible underneath all the dust, dirt and equipment lifting workers to the rafters from the arena floor. ESPN
The renovations included many technological updates, and will give a more intimate feel for the teams that call Reynolds homes…
workers removed about 2,800 seats and shifted the seating bowl to the south end of the building, reducing the capacity to around 5,500. That opened space at the north end for new team offices — with a glass wall overlooking the new bowl — and a home for the Wolfpack’s sports walk of fame, which will weave around the building from a new grand hall and through the concourses.
Workers substantially widened those concourses on the ground level and added a new lighting system, overhead scoreboard and LED displays. They updated restrooms and concessions areas. And they have installed the first building-wide permanent air conditioning system. ESPN
It will be exciting to check out the updates in person in the coming months, and I know all of the teams will be most appreciative of having air conditioning! Few places could reach the muggy temperatures of Reynolds in the dead of summer.