A rendering of the Covelli CenterNew details -- including color renderings and floor plans -- have been revealed for Ohio State's proposed new wrestling facility and 3,700-seat arena that will serve as the venue where Buckeye wrestlers will compete, according to ElevenWarriors.com and Columbus-based school's website for the new sports facilities.
One of the most significant differences in the latest version of the new planned facilities -- and the original proposal that was the subject of an August 2015 InterMat article -- is that the proposed Jennings Wrestling Facility and the Covelli Multi-Sport Arena will now be one structure.
What's more, this new facility will now be located in what Ohio State is referring to as its Athletics District.just north of Schottenstein Center and the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on Fred Taylor Drive. The Covelli Arena and wrestling facility had been originally proposed to be built near the present location of St. John Arena, the current home for Ohio State wrestling constructed in 1956, across Lane Avenue from Ohio Stadium.
What drove these changes in the design and location of these new facilities?
In a word, cost.
The Covelli Multi-Sport Arena was $10 million over budget before construction even began, causing Ohio State trustees to take another look at the proposed facility, the Columbus Business Journal reported.
The Covelli Arena, which will house sports currently being played at St. John Arena -- including wrestling, volleyball, gymnastics and fencing -- was originally budgeted in 2012 at $30 million at the time Sam and Caryn Covelli, owners of the nation's largest Panera Bread franchise, gave $10 million to Ohio State for the proposed arena.
In subsequent years since that initial gift, Ohio State also had announced plans to build a new wrestling training facility as well as the Schumaker Student-Athlete Development Complex to provide nutritional, physical, and psychological development for student-athletes on 33 Ohio State teams.
Last fall, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith had told Cleveland.com that the three facilities -- the arena, wrestling facility, and the athlete development complex -- would have a total cost of $67 million if they were constructed as separate buildings.
Now, the combined arena/wrestling facility will cost $49.7 million, resulting in a cost saving of $10 million compared to constructing those two facilities as separate structures as originally planned.
A number of factors pushed up the price of the facilities, according to the Columbus Business Journal. Administrators said construction costs increased since the project was first proposed. The growth of Olympic sports and their fan base required the Covelli Arena to be expanded from its original vision. What's more, the initial design -- which emphasized steel -- had to be revised to accommodate university design standards, and now features glass and brick construction.
The combination of the arena and wrestling training facility saves space and eliminates duplication of separate locker rooms, storage and offices, which saves money.
Here's a quick overview of each facility:
Jennings Wrestling Facility
According to floorplans at the Ohio State website, the new wrestling facility occupies two levels. The main level features a practice area with five full-size wrestling mats, along with workout equipment ... while the upper level includes coaches' offices, meeting room, and alumni lounge.
Ohio State head wrestling coach Tom Ryan sees the value of the new wrestling facility for current wrestlers as a recruiting tool for would-be Buckeyes.
"When you have a facility to the standard that this one is going to be, it screams value; it screams importance; it screams that when you come here, you are going to be treated in a first-class way," said Ryan.
Covelli Multi-Sport Arena
This new 3,700-seat arena for wrestling and other Olympic sports will provide a more intimate venue for fans. The two-level design provides a closer-to-the-action perspective than the present St. John Arena which has a seating capacity of approximately 12,000.
The Covelli Arena will also feature concession stands, restrooms and other common spectator amenities within the public areas ... along with locker rooms, and maintenance, storage and mechanical spaces, according to Board of Trustees meeting notes.
Ohio State isn't the only Big Ten school to be constructing new arenas for their wrestling programs. This spring, Indiana University announced it would be building a new arena for wrestling and volleyball near Memorial Stadium and the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, IU's main arena which hosted the 2017 Big Ten conference wrestling championships. The new IU wrestling/volleyball facility is expected to have a seating capacity of 2,500-3,000.
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