The new College Park Center, opened February 1, 2012, represents a dream come true for a generation of alumni, faculty, staff and community members. And for the next generation of students, it offers a vision of great things to come.
Designed by HKS Inc., College Park Center is expected to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold standards, incorporating many energy-efficient features including low-emittance glazed windows, a highly reflective roof that reduces the solar load on the building and a low-use water system. The building incorporates regional materials and includes native landscaping.
The $78 million, 218,000-square-foot facility is a transformational jewel for the campus of 43,000 students (60,000 global) and a catalyst for revitalization in the city's central business district. It provides a new home court for the University's basketball and volleyball teams, which previously played in Texas Hall, and also gives the city of Arlington a signature facility for high-profile events and entertainment, conferences and community activities. Since opening, College Park Center has hosted Grammy Award winning concerts, national tournaments (NIT, WNIT, NIVC) and high school playoff games.
Located between Second and Third streets east of Spaniolo Drive (Formerly South Pecan Street), College Park Center can accommodate up to 6,750 guests for a center-stage concert and 7,000 for traditional court-based athletics events. The state-of-the-art practice and competition facility promises to create opportunities to schedule high-profile competition, enhance recruiting and attract significantly larger audiences and media coverage.
As part of its commitment to academic excellence, the University has devoted significant space to an academic support student-center with a study hall, computer lab, group study room and areas for academic advising.
Arlington Partnership
College Park Center's location was strategically chosen to help lure the Arlington community downtown. The city has made it a priority to breathe new life into the area, already adding entertainment, retain and dining opportunities. The Center is expected to provide the tipping point the city needs, catalyzing many of the these initiatives and having a ripple effect on downtown revitalization efforts and campus life development, ultimately accelerating and enriching both.
Built for Entertainment
College Park Center is home to the University's men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams, as as the WNBA Dallas Wings. The Center can also be booked as a venue for high-profile events, concerts and entertainment, expos, conferences and community activities.
