Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena, Conference Center and the Jana and Ken Kahn Hotel proceed with development
Construction of the stadium is proceeding, with progress continuing to be made on the base layout of the structure. Photos by Breanne Valentine
By Emma Ralls
A&E Editor
In 2017, High Point University announced plans to build a basketball arena and conference center on its campus. This year, the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena, Conference Center and the Jana and Ken Kahn Hotel’s construction are well underway.
“Not only will the area hold the largest Jumbotron in North Carolina, it will also house about 4,500 arena seats and state-of-the-art training facilities for our men’s and women’s basketball teams,” said Jason Sweet, director of HPU’s Construction and Renovation. There will also be equipment that projects images onto the court and a ribbon video board.
The arena will contain modern locker rooms for the basketball teams, as well as a full-size practice court, athletic training, conditioning and weight rooms, hydrotherapy tanks and more amenities for the student-athletes.
Other features include seven concession stands, ticketing booths, merchandising areas, a press conference room, a film room, a signing or closing room for future athletes, staff offices and luxury suites for a variety of purposes.
Sweet said there will be suites especially for students, one suite for media, a presidential suite and another suite for boosters. The athletic boosters suite is located courtside and is modeled after the Boston Celtics courtside club. People will have the ability to buy suite tickets without having to book the entire suite.
The main court will be named in honor of Tubby Smith and his wife, Donna Smith. Both Donna and Tubby Smith are HPU alumni. Smith assumed his position as head coach of the men’s basketball team in March 2018. The Smiths made generous donations to HPU in the past; recently, they donated $1 million dollars to the construction of the new arena.
“I have relatives around the country who call and ask me about HPU,” Smith said in an interview. “That’s a good thing to know my alma mater is thought of so highly.”
There will be a conference space connected to the arena that will, according to HPU’s website, “provide ample space for growing undergraduate and graduate programs, student groups and community organizations.”
“The conference space is unique in that can be divided into multiple smaller spaces, so many events can be going on at once,” Sweet said.
Adjacent to both the arena and conference center is the hotel. Named after a family that donated $5 million dollars, the boutique hotel will be named the Jana and Ken Kahn Hotel. While not open to the general public, the hotel will offer rooms to HPU guests and will provide working experience for students in HPU’s new hospitality major.
“There are going to be around 30 to 40 rooms,” Sweet said. “There will be a range of rooms, from junior suites and executive suites, all the way up to a presidential suite. Some rooms in the new hotel will have views overlooking the soccer field in Vert Stadium.”
There will be a new dining facility inside the hotel that will mirror 1924 Prime in the R.G. Wanek Center. The restaurant will also feature a large private dining room, separate from the main dining hall.
In total, the project has cost approximately $130 million dollars and has a projected completion date for late 2020. To learn more about the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena, Conference Center and Jana and Ken Kahn Hotel, students can visit http://www.highpoint.edu/arena/ to get the most up-to-date announcements, watch live cameras on the construction process and watch preview videos of the building’s interior design.