The renovation calls for the exterior of the coliseum to be rejuvenated while the interior will be entirely reconstructed. Planned improvements include a two-level seating bowl, a new video scoreboard, and a state-of-the-art sound system. Based on venue setups, the new seating capacity will increase from 8,000 to nearly 9,000. The new arena, which will be attached to the Coliseum’s south side, will have a bleacher seating for 500 to 1,000 people.
The exterior will undergo minor changes, one of which is the name of the building. Pepsi Co., after about 20 years, will no longer be the Coliseum’s title sponsor. The Pepsi Coliseum sign remains atop the building for now. Negotiations are still ongoing for another sponsor.
The art deco-inspired Coliseum was built in 1939 as part of the New Deal’s Works Progress Administration. The project’s architecture and engineering is being managed by Kansas City-based Populous and the construction management is being overseen by Hunt Construction Group of Indianapolis.
The new arena is expected to be completed by July 2013 and the entire renovation project by July 2014.
