Southern Methodist Univ. announced yesterday that it has "secured a lead gift of $20 million toward the long coveted expansion and renovation of Moody Coliseum from the Moody Foundation," according to Katie Hairopoulos of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. In conjunction with the announcement, SMU also "detailed preliminary plans for what will ultimately" be a $40M project. SMU is "raising the other half of the money" to renovate the 55-year-old facility. Early plans call for a renovated Moody Coliseum to feature a "new three-story tower on the north side of the arena." The top floor "would feature 10 suites, with the other floors housing office space and a club lounge." The arena also could have "bowl seating, complete with a designated courtside student section." While "priority seating would increase, overall seating would decrease from the current capacity of 8,998." Plans also call for a "renovated entry lobby and widened concourses," as well as "new video boards, scoreboards, sound system, broadcast capabilities and heating and cooling systems." No construction date has been set, but SMU officials would "like to start on the tower at the end of the 2011-12 basketball season." In '08, SMU opened a $13M basketball practice facility attached to Moody (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/21). Planning and design "will start immediately for the coliseum renovations" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/20).
