When passing the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, students cannot help but notice how run down and weathered its roof has become over the years.
But, not for long. For the first time since its construction, the PMAC is undergoing the renovations that it has needed for so long.
When the Athletic Department recently took over the management of the PMAC, the department’s first priority was to start immediate renovations.
For the last 30 years, the PMAC has been a University building, said Senior Associate Athletics Director Dan Radakovich. During that time, the Athletic Department rented the building from the University.
The Athletic Department was happy to finally have the PMAC under its wing, Radakovich said. The PMAC’s service these days is used almost exclusively for athletic events.
The University approached the Athletics Department with the proposal to hand the PMAC over to the Athletics Department.
When the PMAC was still new, it had often been used for events such as concerts and convocations, along with sports, Radakovich said.
These days, the PMAC is much more sports oriented.
While the PMAC was in the University’s control, it remained a low priority on the list of renovations to be done. Since the University is constantly performing maintenance on classrooms and education buildings, it was in no hurry to renovate the PMAC, Radakovich said.
“The Athletic Department is taking money out of its own pocket in order to start updating the building,” Radakovich said.
The recent increase in football ticket prices by adding a “mandatory contribution,” has added to the amount of money the department is willing to use.
The first on the list of these heavily needed changes to the PMAC is fixing the weathered roof.
The roof’s construction, which is already underway, will be completed in the early spring, Radakovich said.
Other improvements involve painting the walls indoors, upgrading concession stands and making the arena more compatible with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The PMAC was built long before the ADA laws were put into effect, Radakovich said. The Athletic Department is planning on making the building more wheel-chair friendly to better cater to the needs of people with disabilities.
“All the seats will also be replaced,” Radakovich said. “We hope to begin next year.”
Presently, the building still has the original seats from when the PMAC was first built.
“We will take on renovations that will include sprucing up the concourse area with displays of great moments,” Radakovich said.
Also around the area will be a “Hall of Memories” and a dedication to Pete Maravich.
TAF will be helping with some of the funding for this improvement.
One of the goals in renovating the PMAC is to bring it more up to date and to make it a more functional recreation area.
“This will all be for the better,” said Radakovich. “It will bring it more up-to-date and functional.”