The Michigan Daily

University Athletic Director Bill Martin says Crisler Arena's infrastructure needs an overhaul. (ANGELA CESERE/Daily)

Though construction might be several years away, the Athletic Department is taking steps toward a renovation of Crisler Arena.

University Athletic Director Bill Martin said the Athletic Department hopes to begin the project after it finishes work on Michigan Stadium. That project is scheduled to begin this fall and wrap up by the beginning of the 2009 football season.

He said Crisler's infrastructure needs major work, though he's content with the arena's size, location and architecture. Crisler - the home of the University's men's and women's basketball teams and the training facilities for the men's wrestling team and women's gymnastics team - hasn't undergone major repairs since it opened in 1967.

The Athletic Department has commissioned a study of the building's infrastructure to determine what a renovation project would need to accomplish. Martin said he has seen a preliminary report and expects the final version within two months.

According to the initial report, the arena needs a new roof as well as improved mechanical, electrical and ventilation equipment, Martin said. He said the Athletic Department intends to make a variety of other changes to improve the facility for athletes and fans, like better lighting, more concession stands and wider aisles.

"We have to address those issues," Martin said. "We'll get to it."

But it might take years, if the pace of the Big House renovation is any indication.

Athletic Department officials were already developing plans to renovate Michigan Stadium three years ago, as The Michigan Daily reported in December 2004. After another two years of planning, they presented project plans to the University Board of Regents in May 2006. It took 13 months from that point for the regents to approve all aspects of the project. The process ended in June when the regents gave the Athletic Department permission to grant construction contracts.

Steve Wolters, the president of Maize Rage - a student group that fills the student section at Michigan Men's Basketball games - said he's disappointed he won't be around to see the new Crisler Arena but thinks the hiring of John Beilein as men's basketball coach will make up for Crisler's current flaws.

"I'd love to be here when the football is done and the basketball is done, but I'm more excited with the product we're going to have on the court," Wolters said. "That'll overshadow any kind of problems we have with the arena."

Wolters said the top priority, besides improved lighting, should be the construction of a basketball practice facility, because a top-of-the-line practice facility would help the University recruit better basketball players and show that the University is committed to running a top basketball program. The men's and women's basketball teams must currently take turns using the arena's court.

Martin said a practice court could be built into a hillside attached to the southeast corner of Crisler. The Athletic Department could also expand the wrestling practice facility to include a third wrestling mat.

Martin said it's too early for a cost estimate because the ultimate cost of the project will depend on what the final plans look like. He said he doesn't yet know how the Athletic Department would pay for the project but said he expects the University to supplement Athletic Department funding "in one form or another." Martin plans to speak with University President Mary Sue Coleman and Chief Financial Officer Timothy Slottow before moving forward with the project.

Although the University doesn't usually provide funding for athletic buildings and programs, Crisler Arena is a special case. Because the construction of the arena was funded by the University's general fund operating budget, the University administration gets first priority for use of the arena.

Martin said the Athletic Department has spent decades making small stopgap changes to avoid an expensive renovation project. The lighting, for example, needs a full overhaul, he said.

Crisler's basketball court is darker than most, in part because the large scoreboard and speakers are mounted above the middle of the court, blocking some of the light from the ceiling lamps and creating a shadow at center court.

Although changes to the lighting have made the shadow less visible, it's still there. Using varnish to lighten the color of the floor wasn't enough to solve the lighting problem either, Martin said.

Wolters said poor lighting is his primary problem with Crisler's atmosphere.

"The concourse just feels cold," he said. "Not the temperature, but it's dark, it's dingy. You shouldn't be walking into a basketball arena feeling like that."

Martin said he wants to add a curtain that could be closed around the upper level of the arena. The curtain could create a more intimate atmosphere for wrestling and women's gymnastics meets, which are occasionally held in Crisler but draw fewer fans than basketball games.

Other likely changes include wider aisles with handrails, new chairs, more wheelchair-accessible seating for disabled fans and more concessions stands, he said.

Martin said the University will meet the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 when fixing up the arena.

The project to renovate Michigan Stadium has drawn fire from disabled fans because it doesn't provide the number of wheelchair-accessible seats required by the ADA. The University has argued that the project is a repair, not a renovation, and therefore isn't bound by ADA regulations. A group called the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America has filed a lawsuit against the University demanding that the University meet ADA requirements.

"When we renovate Crisler, we will certainly work with the ADA folks to be compliant," Martin said.

The changes to the seating areas could lead the Athletic Department to remove some seats from the arena. Martin said he's not opposed to lowering Crisler's capacity, which is currently 13,751.

Because Michigan rarely sells out sporting events at the arena, it wouldn't usually make it harder for fans to get tickets. It might make what is already a relatively small venue even smaller, though.

Crisler Arena holds the second-fewest people of any Big Ten basketball facility. The smallest is Northwestern University's Welsh-Ryan Arena, which holds 8,117 people. Value City Arena at Ohio State University is the largest with a capacity of 19,500.

Wolters said he's not worried about a possible drop in size.

"Having a person in every single seat means more than having a 15,000-seat arena," he said. "I don't want to see them come under 11,000 seats, but if they lost 1,000 or so, I don't think anyone would really notice."

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