Venerable Carnesecca Arena, home to the St. John's Athletics
Program since 1961, will undergo a $5 million interior renovation
this summer as part of a multi-phase upgrade to the facility, STJ
Director of Athletics Chris Monasch announced on Wednesday. A new
playing surface, an overhauled seating bowl with 500 chairback
seats, and enhanced ticketing and lobby areas are among the series
of changes Red Storm fans will see prior to the start of the
2008-09 season.
Commitments of $5 million and $1 million, made by donors to the
University's Carnesecca Initiative in the past week, have enabled
St. John's to jumpstart the second phase of what will eventually be
a $30 million upgrade of the entire facility.
"The renovation of Carnesecca Arena is vital, not only to our
basketball programs, but to the entire athletics department since
it houses most of our student-athletes, administrators and coaches.
Carnesecca Arena is the heart of our athletics program," said
Monasch. "The work done this summer is a significant start to the
project, which will be completed over the course of the next few
summers."
The first phase of the Carnesecca Arena upgrade was completed
last fall, as St John's dedicated the state-of-the-art
Student-Athlete Center for Excellence on October 19, 2007. The new
4,500 square foot facility, located on the main level of Carnesecca
Arena, serves as the home for the Student Development for Athletes
program. The new space is highlighted by a 54-seat study center to
meet the needs of St. John's student-athletes and their demanding
academic and athletic schedules. Four private tutoring rooms are
also included in the Center, allowing the academic support staff to
have one-on-one interaction with the student-athletes. The rooms
also provide an area for small study groups to meet.
With the academic needs of St. John's student-athletes met, this
summer's Phase II renovations focus on Carnesecca Arena's interior
and seating bowl. Upon completion, St. John's fans will enjoy a
completely renovated interior, with brilliant sight-lines from each
of the arena's 6,000-plus seats. Red Storm supporters will enjoy
viewing athletic events in a climate-controlled atmosphere, making
for a superior game experience. With the addition of 800 chair-back
seats to the lower seating bowl, fans have the opportunity to get
close to the action with an enhanced level of comfort - the
intimacy of Carnesecca Arena will remain intact, while the overall
fan experience is improved. St. John's most generous benefactors
will be able enjoy the excitement of courtside seating - donors can
catch the thrill of Red Storm basketball up-close, as the athletes
enjoy a newly-refurbished hardwood playing surface.
In addition, Phase II calls for a renovation of the Carnesecca
Arena lobby, with the ticketing area moved to the East end of the
building. Ticket windows will cater to Red Storm fans on the
exterior of the arena, alleviating lobby congestion and providing
potential space for a museum area, where legendary individuals,
teams and moments from throughout St. John's history would forever
be enshrined.
Future renovations for the historic venue include a refurbishing
of the locker room areas and administrative offices, and a
reconditioning of the arena's exterior façade, matching Carnesecca
to its adjoining counterpart, the state-of-the-art Taffner Field
House basketball training facility.
Headed by former St. John's All-American and longtime NBA star Mel
Davis, the Carnesecca Initiative is the University's major
fundraising venture to support the expansive renovations. Early
leadership gift commitments have helped to move the first phases of
the renovations forward and additional gifts will be needed to
complete the full vision. For information about upcoming Carnesecca
Initiative events, naming opportunities in the new Carnesecca
Arena, or to make a donation, please contact Davis at 718-990-2374
or by e-mail at davism1@stjohns.edu.
"The Carnesecca Arena renovation will have a great impact on our
basketball program. It is something that we as an institution have
wanted to do for some time, and now some of the plans will come to
fruition," said head men's basketball coach Norm Roberts. "The
renovations will be something that our current student-athletes
will certainly enjoy, and its impact on recruiting will be
tremendous. The new Carnesecca Arena will also provide an enhanced
game-day atmosphere for our student body and fans as well."
"Since we play most of our games at Carnesecca Arena, we're very
excited for the renovation and its ability to continue to boost our
game-day atmosphere," added women's head coach Kim Barnes Arico.
"The intimacy of Carnesecca Arena is perfect for women's
basketball, and we hope that the new features will encourage our
fans to pack the house and support our teams. With great home
crowds, the benefits to our program now and in the future will be
incredible."
The on-campus competition venue of the Red Storm basketball,
volleyball and fencing teams, what was then referred to as Alumni
Hall opened its doors on December 4, 1961. In the fall of 2004, as
part of a dedication ceremony honoring St. John's Hall of Fame
coach, the University renamed the court and the building for
longtime mentor Lou Carnesecca. With a seating capacity of 6,008,
historic Carnesecca Arena ranks as the fourth-largest indoor arena
in the Metropolitan area, behind the Meadowlands, Madison Square
Garden and Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. In 1961, the year the
facility was opened, the building was rated second only to Madison
Square Garden.
The major renovations planned for Carnesecca Arena are the
latest in a series of upgrades to St. John's Athletic Facilities,
as part of the University's multi-year facilities plan. The
Carnesecca Arena and Taffner Field House complex will form the
centerpiece to the St. John's Athletics Corridor, which spans from
the soon-to-be-constructed University Center and DaSilva Memorial
Field all the way to the newly-renamed Jack Kaiser Baseball
Stadium. The Athletics Corridor will eventually be linked by
pathways and green areas, uniting facilities that 13 St. John's
varsity athletic programs call home - Red Storm Field (softball),
DaSilva Memorial Field (men's lacrosse, women's track & field),
The Courts at St. John's (men's and women's tennis), Taffner Field
House (men's and women's basketball), Carnesecca Arena (men's and
women's basketball, women's volleyball, men's and women's fencing),
Belson Stadium (men's and women's soccer) and Jack Kaiser Stadium
(baseball).