Reasonable Restoration

A $12 million makeover for the University of Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum will give the aging arena a fresh look this fall.

The 10,523-capacity coliseum has undergone several interior upgrades in recent years, and athletic officials at the Athens college recently voted to spruce up the outside of the building as well.

Pending renovations at the arena include the construction of glass exterior walls and wider concourses, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The new walls will add 12,000 square feet of concourse space to the building, making room for concession and bathroom upgrades and additions, the paper said.

While the venue, which houses the UGA’s Bulldogs basketball team, is more than 45 years old, funding a $100 million new arena reportedly wasn’t a top priority for the school at this time.

Instead, the new design will complement the venue’s existing signature parabolic roof, officials told the Journal-Constitution.

“I think it’s going to look a lot more like a pro arena,” architect Danny Sniff said. “And if you look at the amount of money we’re spending vs. tearing down and building a new one, it’s nothing. But it’s going to have that dramatic effect, I think.”

No changes are planned for the inner bowl at this time. The project is expected to be completed by November.