Frost Arena Renovations
From December's Board of Regent's meeting to January's legislative hearing
Board of Regents Meeting:
BROOKINGS - The South Dakota Board of Regents met at the Lohr Building on South Dakota State University’s campus on December 8-9 to review policy, approve construction projects and discuss some current issues on campuses across South Dakota.
First Bank & Trust Arena
The board approved SDSU’s request to revise the facility and design plan for First Bank & Trust Arena, now known as Frost Arena. Earlier this fall, it was announced that Frost Arena would be renamed to First Bank & Trust Arena following a large donation that would be used to fund this large-scale renovation project. The Stanley J. Marshall Center, which includes the arena, would also see a nearly 60,000-square-foot addition along with other renovations.
“Over the 48-year life of Stanley J. Marshall, it has been home to countless sporting events, concerts, camps, graduation, classes and many others events,” a spokesman for SDSU said at the Dec. 9 meeting. “If you went to SDSU or live in the Brookings area, you have likely attended an event in this building.”
The project is slated to cost approximately $53 million, which will need to be approved by the South Dakota Legislature in this upcoming session. If the Legislature approves, SDSU was granted an emergency clause which will allow construction to begin immediately following the spending authority approval by the lawmakers.
About $43 million for this project will come from donations, with $4 million coming from SDSU and $6 million coming from Higher Education Facilities Funds from the Board of Regents. A sizeable portion of the donations so far have come from First Bank & Trust, which donated $20 million, and an anonymous donor, who donated $10 million.
This is the final phase of a three-phase facility program update project. The first phase was the basketball and volleyball practice facility addition, located on the south side of Frost Arena. The second phase is the upcoming wrestling practice facility addition, which is currently in the construction process.
“The final phase of this multi-phase project will complete a full-scale renovation and addition, creating state-of-the-art, modern facility, better serving students, staff, faculty and visitors to the campus of SDSU,” an attachment provided to the board said.
Renovations inside First Bank & Trust Arena will include a new building entrance, updated ticket offices, academic classrooms, new home and visitor locker rooms, as well as other support spaces. The second floor of the building will see new and upgraded restrooms, concessions, and other updated amenities including chair-back seating and a new “club-room.” The third floor of the arena will see new luxury box seating, viewing deck areas, and updated chair-back seating. Three new elevators will be added to improve accessibility.
Maintenance upgrades include plumbing systems, ventilation and fire suppression systems, as well as lighting and electrical updates.
With the addition of expanded chair-back seating, as well as space for viewing decks and luxury box spaces, the capacity for First Bank & Trust Arena will decrease to 5,000. Since its inception as Frost Arena, seating capacity has been gradually reduced as seating improvements have continually lowered capacity. The arena’s capacity record is 9,456, which occurred in 1989 in a game between SDSU and Augustana. Currently, the arena seats 6,500 fans. The addition of luxury box seats and other seating upgrades will help to improve “revenue generation.”
“As you can see from the floor plans provided, the perspective drawings provide a world-class venue for the university,” a spokesman for SDSU said. “The project should be completed in the fall of 2024.”
Legislative hearing:
PIERRE – House Bill 1022, a bill that authorizes the Board of Regents to contract for the design and renovation of Frost Arena, cleared its first hurdle in the South Dakota Legislature on Jan. 24.
The bill, which was sponsored by the Committee on Appropriations, was originally referred to the House Education Committee but after a hearing and 8-6 vote, moved on to the Joint Committee on Appropriations.
The project includes a complete renovation of Frost Arena and an addition that would attach the Stanley J. Marshall Center with the practice gyms.
“It doesn’t go back to the ‘50s but it does go back to the 1970s,” said District 7 Rep. Larry Tidemann referring to Frost Arena. “I think it opened up in 1973, it has the same situation, it doesn’t have enough bathrooms plus the electrical situation is not fully supportive of modern technology in the 21st century. Frost Arena is a great venue for watching basketball - SDSU is Division I now – it brings a great opportunity to extol the virtues of our student-athletes across the nation.”
Tidemann explained that, as an alumnus and former employee at SDSU, he had the opportunity to go to the Barn (SDSU basketball’s former home). He remembers packing 3,00 people in there when it only fit 1,9000.
“We hung from the rafters,” Tidemann said.
He explained that, at the time, Frost Arena was a great upgrade but now it’s time for another upgrade.
The project is estimated to cost $53.1 million dollars. $43 million would come from private donations, $6 million from SDSU’s maintenance and repair fund, and $4 million from SDSU’s university funds.
SDSU President Barry Dunn explained that 90% of the private fundraising, over $40 million, is complete. Further, he explained that the SDSU Foundation sent a letter to the Board of Regents guaranteeing the completion of the last 10%.
Brian Maher, South Dakota Board of Regents Executive Director, voiced his support for the project.
“We are in great shape,” Dunn said.
Dunn also mentioned that student fees would not increase due to this project.
Rep. Drew Dennert (R-Brown) asked for a more thorough explanation of where the $4 million dollars allocated from SDSU was coming from.
Dunn explained that the fund that $4 million dollars is coming from an SDSU athletics fund that is made up of ticket revenue, logo licensing, Learfield sponsorships, among other things, in “anticipation of this project.”
“We’ve anticipated the need to do this and planned carefully for it,” Dunn said.
Dennert later explained that he would prefer the $4 million come from private donations and that he would be voting to oppose the project.
Renovations
“The renovated and expanded facility will serve the same important activities and events for the next 50 years,” Dunn said.
Renovations inside Frost Arena will include a new building entrance, updated ticket offices, academic classrooms, new home and visitor locker rooms, as well as other support spaces. The second floor of the building will see new and upgraded restrooms, concessions, and other updated amenities including chair-back seating and a new “club-room.” The third floor of the arena will see new luxury box seating, viewing deck areas, and updated chair-back seating. Three new elevators will be added to improve accessibility.
“Frost Arena will be 50 years old in the next year so the opportunity to have donors and supporters and others be able to step up and address the age of the facility and one that obviously only continues to grow in cost over time but also the opportunity to drive some revenue and will help us continue to pay for that experience and give our student athletes a great experience,” said SDSU Athletic Director Justin Sell.
The capacity for the arena will decrease from 6,500 to 5,000 following the renovation.
“(Frost Arena) is one of the most iconic buildings in the entire state and has been connected to so many people throughout our state,” Sell added. “It doesn’t just benefit a basketball program or an athletic department. It certainly benefits the Brookings community but it also benefits our state.”
This will be Sell’s third major project as SDSU’s athletic director, the first two being Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium and the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex. Sell explained the Frost Arena project has “by far been the most successful fundraising project, in terms of the amount in the short period of time that we’ve been able to raise the money.”
The project will happen in phases, according to Sell. The first phase, if approved, would begin this spring, following commencement. The second phase, which would complete the upper bowl inside Frost Arena, would begin the following March, after the completion of the basketball season. The third phase, which would finish the lower bowl and floors, would start a year later, following the basketball season again. The expected completion would be Sept. 2024, Sell said.
“I am are very excited about the opportunity for us to be able to move forward for the next 50 years and have a chance to continue to support our student-athlete experience but also meet the needs of our citizens and our university in this great state,” Sell said.
Following the completion of the renovation, Frost Arena would be renamed First Bank and Trust Arena, due to the $20 million dollar donation that First Bank and Trust provided for the project.
“I’m impressed from what we’ve heard in testimony today. We’ve got colleges that are going out and earning their own donations and I think that’s very refreshing rather than coming with a handout all the time so I appreciate that,” said Rep. Lana Greenfield (R-Spink).
Vote
Other than Dennert, there was no opponent testimony to the bill nor was there any concerns raised about the bill during the hearing, but the vote, which passed 8-6, was close. Rep. Bartels (R-Codington), Deutsch (R-Codington), Keintz (D-Marshall), Mortenson (R-Hughes), Stevens (R-Yankton), Healy (R-Minnehaha), Miskimins (R-Davison), and Greenfield voted in favor.
Rep. Marty (R-Perkins), Odenbach (R-Lawrence), Peterson (R-Minnehaha), Jensen (R-Pennington), Soye (R-Minnehaha), and Dennert all voted in opposition of the bill.
There is currently no available schedule for when the Joint Committee on Appropriations will hear the bill but it will be heard at some point in the next few weeks.
Other points of interest from Sell’s and Dunn’s testimonies:
· Sell took over in 2009. SDSU was doing $800,000 in ticket sales. Now, they are up to $4.3 million.
· Sponsorships (guaranteed) are at $1.65 million.
· SDSU raises $1.5 million in annual scholarships through the Jackrabbit Club
· The auction raises over $1 million dollars in a single event (only school in the country that does a one-day auction). They’ve done that the last 5 years.
· 100s of donors for current fundraising project
· Dunn gives “very large” personal donations to SDSU (Dunn’s current base salary is $402,285)
Feb. 22 Update:
Frost Arena renovations moves through House Committee on Appropriations
A bill that would authorize the Board of Regents to contract for the design and renovation of Frost Arena, House Bill 1022, has cleared the next step, the House Committee on Appropriations, in the state Legislature.
District 7 Rep. Larry Tidemann explained that the building is currently 50 years old and needs an update, which would include more concessions, restrooms, and expansion of chair-back seating.
The project is estimated to cost $53 million, $43 of which would come from donated funds, while $4 million would come from SDSU “other funds,” and $6 million would come from higher education facilities fund “allocable to SDSU for the purposes of maintenance and repair.” The “other funds” come from SDSU athletics which includes ticket sales and other accumulated revenue.
No state funds are being used in this project as all are either raised or internal dollars.
Major donors include First Bank and Trust, which donated $20 million as part of a lead gift that also gave them the naming rights to the remolded arena. Tidemann explained that him and his wife also donated to the project.
“This will provide a greater venue for the students, especially the Division I situation that we are currently in,” Tidemann said.
If passed, the project would be done in phases, with the final phase being completed before the start of the basketball season in 2024. The majority of construction would occur during the summer as the current plan is to have the arena useable during the basketball seasons.
“The improvements dramatically improve accessibility, restrooms, concessions, seating options, improved space for sports medicine, training rooms, team rooms, and support offices,” said SDSU President Barry Dunn.
SDSU Athletic Director Justin Sell explained that restrooms and concessions lines are “rather long” and “you probably can’t do both at halftime.”
“Many people have to choose what they want to do,” Sell said.
Sell explained further that Frost Arena is an “iconic” building in South Dakota that has been used for much more than just SDSU basketball. Outside of a basketball arena, Frost is used for the Future Farmers of America (FAA) State Convention, student classrooms, and SDSU’s commencement.
Over 1,000 seats, 20% of the building, have been designed for students, Sell added.
“We are working with a student committee in the design of that area,” Sell said. “We are proposing a club room section for them which I haven’t heard of anywhere else in the country (who has one).”
Sell explained that the club area, with its moveable furniture, could be used for student association meetings and other activities on non-gamedays.
“Our students are really excited,” Sell said.
The economic impact of the project would also be important to understand, Sell explained. On the two previous major projects, the Dana J. Dykehouse Stadium and the Sandford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex, there was between 22 and 27 local or regional contractors working on the projects and 71 -88% of the construction dollars were spent locally or regionally, per Sell.
For this project, they have 28 SDSU graduates currently working on it with EAPC from Sioux Falls being the architect of record. Henry Carlson Construction from Sioux Falls is the construction manager at-risk.
Committee discussion
District 4 Rep. John Mills asked if construction would be in the current footprint or if there would be any additions.
Dunn explained that there will a small addition built that would connect the main arena to the practice gym on the southside of the building. Dunn explained that SDSU’s footprint would not increase from this project however.
Vote
HB 1022 passed with a 6-1 vote. Mills, Rep. Randy Gross (R-Lake), Rep. Mary Fitzgerald (R-Lawrence), Rep. Taffy Howard (R-Pennington), Rep. Liz May (R-Bennett), and Rep. Chris Karr (R-Minnehaha) all voted in favor. Rep. Tina Mulally (R-Pennington) was the lone dissenting vote.
On Feb. 22, HB 1022 passed through the House of Rep. in a 56-11 vote.
March 1 update:
Frost Arena renovation bill headed to governor’s desk
A bill that would authorize the Board of Regents to begin construction on Frost Arena has cleared its final two major hurdles in the state Legislature. House Bill 1022, which had previously passed through the Joint Committee on Appropriations, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the House of Rep., moved to the Senate following Crossover Day last week.
In the Senate, the bill was assigned to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. In committee testimony, District 7 Rep. Larry Tidemann explained that no general funds are being given to complete the project as the majority of the $53 million price tag will come from privately donated funds ($43 million). Other funding will come from SDSU athletics’ other funds, which is an accumulation of revenue from ticket sales and totals $4 million, and then $6 million will come from the higher education facilities fund “allocable to SDSU for the purposes of maintenance and repair.”
Further, Tidemann explained that if the bill were to pass, construction would start as soon as possible. The project will move in phases, done over a three year period, with the majority of work being completed in the summer after the completion of each basketball season. SDSU President Barry Dunn assured the committee that Frost Arena would still be useable during the winter months and basketball games would still be played there during the season.
Once completed, the arena’s namesake will become “First Bank and Trust Arena” following a $20 million lead gift from First Bank and Trust last fall.
The project will shrink capacity by 1,500 but will improve accessibility with more bathrooms and concessions, which SDSU Athletic Director Justin Sell previously pointed out is currently an issue. There will also more chairback seating, replacing the bleacher seating that sits on the west baseline and above both baskets. Further, there will be suites added and a club section for students.
Dunn explained that the time to renovate is now, as the price tag has grown by over $11 million since 2019.
Brian Maher, from the Board of Regents, explained that the board supported this bill and project.
In committee, the bill passed 7-0.
“Everyone knew the name Frost Arena and its sad to see it go away,” District 7 Sen. VJ Smith said on the Senate floor. “But things change.”
On the Senate floor, the HB 1022 passed 33-2. The two dissenting votes were from Julie Frye-Mueller (R-Pennington) and Ryan Maher (R-Dewey).
The final step now is for Governor Noem to sign off on the bill. If Noem were to veto, the bill could be revived with a 2/3rds vote on Veto Day, which is March 28.
Final update:
On March 10, Gov. Kristi Noem signed House Bill 1022, signaling the completion of the bill. Because the bill had “and to declare an emergency” attached, renovations will begin immediately.