Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex is a sports and entertainment complex owned by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pennsylvania. The complex, which contains multi-use space for conferences and events as well as arena which will serve as the university's primary indoor venue totals 150,000-square-foot (14,000 m2), and stands on approximately 6.55 acres (26,500 m2) of former salvage land adjacent to the university campus donated by the Kovalchick Salvage Company.
 | |
 Artist rendition of the complex | |
 | |
| Location | Wayne Avenue, Indiana, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Owner | Indiana University of Pennsylvania |
| Operator | Oak View Group Facilities |
| Capacity | appx. 5,000 (basketball) appx. 6,000 (end-stage concert) |
| Field size | 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | November 13, 2008 |
| Built | November 2008 - January 2011 |
| Opened | March 4, 2011 |
| Construction cost | appx. $54 million |
| Project manager | Pennsylvania Department of General Services |
| General contractor | Mascara Construction Co. LP |
| Main contractors | S.P. McCarl Inc., Farfield Co. |
| Tenants | |
| IUP Crimson Hawks | |
The Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex, located along Wayne Avenue adjacent to the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus, is a one hundred forty eight thousand five hundred (148,500) square-foot facility that will offer multi-use adaptable space in the five thousand (6,000) seat Ed Fry Arena, the six hundred fifty (650) seat Christine Toretti Auditorium, the seventeen thousand (17,000) square-foot state of the art Conference Center with multiple breakout rooms, and the six thousand (6,000) square foot Corporate Training and Executive Conference Center. Included in the Conference Center is a fully equipped E-Conference Room with videoconferencing as well as teleconferencing capability.
An ideal venue for concerts, family shows, sporting events, conferences, conventions, trade shows, corporate seminars and much more, the Kovalchick Complex is projected to have a $22 million economic impact on the region during construction and an annual economic impact of $12.5 million in each year of operation.
The complex is named in honor of the Kovalchick Family, of Indiana, PA, who donated $2 million for the facility's construction.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the Kovalchick Complex took place November 13, 2008, and included an announcement of a challenge grant for $1 million for the facility from Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduate Chad Hurley, co-founder of YouTube, in honor of Indiana University of Pennsylvania music professor and track and field coach Ed Fry. The arena portion of the Kovalchick Complex is named after Fry in honor of Hurley's gift. The Ed Fry Arena will be home to the IUP Men's and Women's Basketball teams and the IUP Women's Volleyball Team, a wide variety of concerts, family shows, trade shows, and much more.
Opening
editEarly events scheduled after the opening of the arena included the Harlem Globetrotters and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.[1] Ticket sales for the March 10, 2011 show by the Globetrotters set the group's record for most sales in a week for a venue with a capacity of 5,000 or less.[2] In addition to the Globetrotters and Circus, performances in the first months of operation included Waka Flocka Flame, Thirty Seconds to Mars with Anberlin, Widespread Panic, Steve Miller Band with Gregg Allman, Kenny Rogers, WWE Wrestling, Stone Temple Pilots, and comedians Rob Riggle and Steve Byrne.
References
edit- ^ Kusic, Sam (November 19, 2010). "KCAC to host Globetrotters". Indiana Gazette. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2010.
- ^ "Harlem Globetrotters at Kovalchick Complex". Indiana County Tourist Bureau. December 3, 2010. Retrieved January 22, 2011.[permanent dead link]
