Work continues on NSU Multipurpose Event Center

(Tahlequah, Okla.)--Earth-moving continues at the site of Northeastern State University's planned $14.4 million Multipurpose Event Center.

The facility, as yet unnamed, will stand on the northwest corner of North Street and North Grand Avenue between the NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry and Doc Wadley Stadium.

"We are well under way with the preliminary stages of the project," said Tim Foutch, vice president for operations. "We are currently installing water and sewer lines and digging footings for concrete. We will begin pouring slabs in a couple of weeks."

An analysis was conducted in 2011 by Dr. Brian Jackson of the NSU Business Services Center to estimate the economic impact of construction and the first operational year of the event center.

Direct impact of the construction can result in approximately 150 additional jobs and $4.3 million in payroll. Sporting events and conventions are expected to generate annually an additional $2 million in sales and $150,000 in local taxes.

The building will house more than 78,000 square feet. The floor plan calls for 69 rooms including six locker rooms. Amenities will also include a video screening room, an athletics shop, a suite of offices for coaches and staff, concession areas, laundry facilities, a ticket office and a room for the athletic and alumni associations.

Permanent seating capacity will be about 3,000, but configurations using floor and mezzanine space will permit the seating of additional people.

"By October we should begin to see the shape of the building," Foutch said. "We will have steel on the ground and the erecting process will have begun."

Anticipated opening date of the multipurpose event center is Aug. 1, 2013. Architect of record is Crafton Tull and contractor is Nabholz Construction Inc. Building expenses are paid through previously approved bond funds, dedicated university capital funds, fee revenue above debt service and interest earnings.

As part of the construction, NSU is creating a storm water detention facility south of North Street to address a flood-prone area of campus and the Tahlequah community.

The capacity of the storm water detention facility will be approximately 1.7 million gallons and will mitigate flooding issues on campus and downstream in the city.

Many other construction projects are under way on the NSU campus. Removal of the Cedar Craft Apartments married housing facility has resumed on the southwest corner of Crafton Street and North Cedar Avenue. The final concrete pours are completed on the parking lot south of the Leoser Complex and work has begun to build the parking lot north of Crafton Street across from Rousey Field.

There were also concrete pours the week of August 6-10 on the circle drive west of the Center for the Performing Arts.