U. of Cincinnati May Be Planning New Arena and Changes to Stadium

The University of Cincinnati could spend $240-million to build a new basketball arena and renovate its existing football stadium, according to a master plan obtained by the Georgetown News-Graphic, a newspaper in Georgetown, Ky., about 70 miles south of Cincinnati.

The plan was submitted last February by Trahan Architects, of Baton Rouge, La. It says the university needs a new basketball venue because “the success of UC’s basketball program and the intensity of the fan support have exceeded the multi-purpose arena’s potential,” and because the current structure is hemmed in by other buildings at the heart of the university’s tightly packed campus.

The stadium renovations would add a 16,000-seat upper deck, bringing total capacity to 40,000, and would also add 29 luxury suites. University officials had no comment on the newspaper’s report.