Newly released designs of the "long-awaited expansion of the Lexington Convention Center include changes to Rupp Arena along with new exhibition, ballroom and meeting space," according to a front-page piece by Beth Musgrave of the LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER. Part of the current convention center "wraps around Rupp Arena." Under the plans, parts of the convention center would be "removed, and a new glass or transparent entrance would go in front of Rupp." Plans also call for "two smaller buildings in front of the convention center and Rupp Arena." Architectural firms NBBJ and EOP, who are behind the expansion, also "designed a previous plan to overhaul Rupp and the convention center at the same time." The $350M project was suspended in June '14 after the group "failed to get state money for the much larger project." The '14 designs included "expanding the second tier of Rupp Arena and installing a new glass outer wall. Under the plans unveiled Thursday, the "top of Rupp Arena would still be visible." The current metal siding would be "removed, and it would get a new exterior glass or transparent covering." LCC President & CEO Bill Owen said that by "not expanding the upper bowl of Rupp Arena, the group saved" about $100M. Thanks to new technology that "wasn’t available three years ago, Lexington Center can replace the benches on the second tier of Rupp with chair-backed seats." Rupp Arena would also get "four new hospitality suites" (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, 7/21).
FRESH CARPET: In Lexington, Chris Leach noted when the Univ. of Kentucky takes the field for the first time in its new $49M ballpark, that "field will be AstroTurf." That will be a "change from the traditional real grass and dirt of the team’s current home, Cliff Hagan Stadium." The new field is AstroTurf's Diamond Series. AstroTurf said that it has installed more D-I synthetic baseball fields "than any of the other artificial turf companies combined." The opening date of late summer/early fall '18 is "still on track" (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, 7/20).
