For nearly a year now, steady progress has been made on a new sports arena for the University of Maryland. Known as the Comcast Center, the 460,000-sq.-ft. (41,400 sq. m) facility will house the university’s athletic department, including men’s and women’s basketball, 22 sports offices and locker rooms, a wrestling gym, weight-training facility, and a smaller gym that can be operated independently.

The arena will improve seating for more than 17,000 spectators. The facility replaces the 44-year-old Cole Field House, which does not meet current building codes and has seating for only 14,500.

Overall, the Comcast project is valued at $124.5 million, with funding primarily public. The state also is contributing funds as well as the university. A $20-million naming rights gift to the university came from Philadelphia’s Comcast Corporation, a company that provides cable service. In addition, to naming rights, the business partnership also includes the provision of cable television services to the residence halls at the university.

“We are immensely pleased that this arrangement makes possible the building of the finest student activities center in the United States,” said University of Maryland Athletic Director Deborah Yow. “It will achieve a number of important goals. It will host multiple university events for students, faculty and staff, serve as a magnificent home court for Terrapin basketball, advance our gender-equity initiatives by providing a fine competitive and practice venue for a number of Terrapin women’s sports teams and provide appropriate offices and locker rooms for those teams and their coaches.”

The project is under the direction of the Maryland Stadium Authority. This public corporation was created in 1986 to acquire, construct and operate new sports stadiums in the Baltimore metropolitan area. Project director for the Stadium Authority is Kim McCalla.

The architectural contract for the Comcast Center was awarded to Ellerbe Becket of Kansas City, while Gilbane and Smoot are joint construction managers. Separately, Gilbane Construction is based in Laurel, MD, while Smoot is in Falls Church, VA. The companies have joint venture offices in College Park, MD. John Keefer is the construction manager for the project.

Work began in May 2000, and the expected completion date is October 2002. According to McCalla, the entire project has been a challenge because of a very tight schedule.

McCalla reported that the building is pre-cast brick with a steel roof, and involves 1,790 tons (1,611 t) of steel. In addition, the project involves 27,000 cu. yds. (20,520 cu m) of concrete, 180,000 cu. yds. (136,000 cu m) of earth being moved, and 581 auger cast piles. Equipment includes five cranes.

There are about 300 people working on the site. Subcontracting jobs include: earthmoving by Cherry Hill Construction of Jessup, MD; concrete by Baker Concrete Construction Inc. of Monroe, OH; steel by Lynchburg Steel and Specialty of Monroe, VA; precast seating risers by The Shockey Group of Winchester, VA; mechanical by Poole & Kent Company of Baltimore, MD; and electrical by Mona Energy of Clinton, MD.

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