IU announces donation of $2 million for new Assembly Hall entry plaza
Indiana on Thursday evening announced a $2 million donation from Ken Nunn for a new entry plaza to the south entrance of Assembly Hall.
The addition will be named the Ken Nunn Champions Plaza and will be completed by the fall of 2016, in time for when renovations to the 40-plus-year-old arena will be finished, as well.
“We are thrilled and so very grateful to Ken for his generous gift to help renovate the future Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall,” IU vice president and director of athletics Fred Glass said. “The Ken Nunn Champions Plaza will be a centerpiece to the new Assembly Hall and we are honored that it will bear his name. His gift helps ensure that we are preserving one of the greatest home court advantages in college basketball.”
Renovations to Assembly Hall — which will be renamed the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall following the completion of the renovations thanks to a $40 million donation from Cindy Simon Skjodt in 2013 — have already begun. There also will be a public groundbreaking ceremony at the Cook Hall Entry Plaza on Monday, April 7, at 3:30 p.m.
“IU is a great university and the IU basketball program and its fan deserve the very best,” Nunn said. “It is my honor to support the renovation of Assembly Hall.”
The full press release from Indiana is available after the jump.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – IU Athletics announced today that Ken Nunn has made a $2 million commitment to the historic Assembly Hall renovation project. In recognition of the gift, Assembly Hall’s new south entry plaza will be named the Ken Nunn Champions Plaza when the renovated Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall opens in the Fall of 2016.
“We are thrilled and so very grateful to Ken for his generous gift to help renovate the future Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall,” said Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass. “The Ken Nunn Champions Plaza will be a centerpiece to the new Assembly Hall and we are honored that it will bear his name. His gift helps ensure that we are preserving one of the greatest home court advantages in college basketball.”
As part of preserving college basketball’s greatest home court advantage, the renovations will: improve the fan experience through renovating every restroom and adding new ones, improving the concession stands, refurbishing all non-bleacher seats, installing a new large video board with improved visibility in the balconies and throughout the seating bowl, replacing metal railings with acrylic panels to improve safety and sightlines, and adding premium seating and hospitality to generate revenues to reinvest in the building’s maintenance; improve fan accessibility through new escalators in the North and South lobbies and improved access for people with disabilities; enhance the look through a dramatic new “front door” and entry plaza and new branding and flooring throughout the building; and rebuild the infrastructure of the building through improvements to its emergency alarms, mechanical, plumbing and HVAC systems.
Renovations on Assembly Hall will continue through Fall, 2016.
“IU is a great university and the IU basketball program and its fan deserve the very best,” said Ken Nunn. “It is my honor to support the renovation of Assembly Hall.”
Construction to renovate the Assembly Hall has already begun. There will be a ceremonial public groundbreaking ceremony on April 7, 2015. The ceremony for the future Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall will take on the Cook Hall Entry Plaza at 3:30 p.m.
The renovation of Assembly Hall was announced in December 2013 when IU Athletics received a $40 million gift — the largest in its history — from alumna Cindy Simon Skjodt (pronounced SCOTT). In honor of the landmark gift made by Simon Skjodt and her philanthropic organization, the Samerian Foundation, IU will rename Assembly Hall the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall at the completion of the construction and renovations. The Simon Skjodt gift also launched IU Athletics’ capital campaign, which is part of Indiana University’s Bicentennial Campaign.
Nunn also made a gift to support Assembly Hall in 2012 to help fund the installation of 350 aluminum handrails located throughout the seating bowl. Read more about Assembly Hall’s handrails.
To learn more about the IU Athletics campaign or gift and naming opportunities, please contact the IU Varsity Club at 812-855-0866 or [email protected].
(Photo via IU Athletics)
Filed to: Assembly Hall, Ken Nunn