LSU’s new planned $400 million dollar arena looks like it’s had its potential location and developers narrowed down.
The two developers in the running to design and build the arena are the Oak View Group and ASM Global, according to emails obtained by The Advocate. The frontrunner for the home of the new arena appears to be the LSU Golf Course.
LSU’s golf teams haven’t used the LSU Golf Course for practice since the University Club course opened in 1998 and has been under the threat of closure on multiple occasions. The LSU Golf Course was referred to as a “designated area” for the arena by LSU, according to The Advocate.
If the arena does end up going there, the golf course would close for good, though construction isn’t expected to start for several years. The Bernie Moore Track Stadium and the parking lots immediately south of Tiger Stadium were considered for the new arena, but LSU eventually ruled out both of those locations.
The track stadium would have been too expensive to tear down and rebuild, and removing the parking lot would only increase growing complaints and concerns about lack of parking. Because of this, the golf course is the favored location by LSU.
LSU is reportedly running studies to see the impact putting the arena there would have on traffic and the surrounding areas. The attorney working on the project told The Advocate that none of the renderings are final and that the traffic studies are just for due diligence on how viable the golf course would be.
The Tiger Athletic Foundation said that developers “may provide an alternate location,” but that proposals should “generally conform” to that area, according to The Advocate. That developer will either be the Oak View Group or ASM Global.
The Oak View Group built the Moody Center in Austin, Texas where the Longhorns play their basketball games. The arena seats over 15,000 people and was built on top of a former parking lot on Texas’ campus. The facility cost $375 million.
ASM Global is more well known in Baton Rouge. It currently manages the River Center, the Caesars Superdome and the Smoothie King Center.
The two developers will reportedly have until June 30 to submit proposals and the Tiger Athletic Foundation will take around 60 days to look over them. Afterwards, the foundation will schedule interviews and start negotiations. It will take from six months to a year before the foundation agrees to a contract, according to The Advocate.
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