The University of St. Thomas
“Elevating UST as a Leading Division I National Catholic University”
St. Thomas announced the $75 million lead naming gift from Lee and Penny Anderson of Naples, Florida – two long-standing benefactors of Minnesota’s largest private university – to construct a multi-use, on-campus arena in St. Paul that will be home to its Division I men’s and women’s hockey and basketball programs. The donation is one of the 10 largest known collegiate athletics gifts ever received nationally.
Crawford was selected as the design-builder, in partnership with Ryan Companies US for the new arena complex. It will play a pivotal role in St. Thomas’ ongoing transition to NCAA Division I athletics while providing competition and training facilities for men’s and women’s athletics plus commencement ceremonies, academic convocations, conferences, career fairs, and other events for the university and broader community.
St. Thomas aims to break ground on the new facility in 2024, with a target opening of fall 2025.
CLIENT
The University of St. Thomas
LOCATION
St. Paul, MN
SIZE
5,000 seats
EXPERTISE
Master Planning/ Concept Design, Architecture, Interior Architecture, Brand Activation, Signage & Wayfinding, Stadiums & Arenas, Health & Wellness, Mixed-Use, Commercial Office
This is about more than just hockey and basketball games – this is a gift that will be transformative for our entire St. Paul campus, enhance the experience of our students, and raise visibility for the university as a whole. It also creates a new community and economic asset for the Twin Cities, the state of Minnesota, and the region.
Rob Vischer, University of St. Thomas President
For 138 years, St. Thomas has demonstrated commitment to excellence in all that it does, and this arena shows that same commitment to our Division I transition. Tommie hockey and basketball compete in some of the country’s best conferences, and this new arena will provide practice, competition and fan experiences expected of a Division I program. This gift helps St. Thomas to continue its upward trajectory in athletics and as an institution.
Phil Esten, University of St. Thomas VP of Athletics