The Breslin Student Events Center is in store for a major face-lift over the next couple of years. The first of two planned phases of renovations is expected to be completed by August 2017.
“It’s kind of a long drawn-out process because the Breslin Center will remain open throughout the project,” project manager for the Breslin Student Events Center renovations Jeffrey Bonk said. “It’s a phased project over time.”
Phase one is underway, and phase two is currently on hold until funding is raised, according to Bonk. General updates and a modern makeover were some of the major driving forces behind the renovations.
“The driving factor behind doing the project was (that) the building is currently 26 years old,” Bonk said. “We did a facilities assessment of the building and there were a lot of utility and infrastructure updates needed, as well as it doesn’t really meet today’s needs for a facility of this type.”
Bonk said the team responsible for the renovations had three major goals in mind when developing the plans — functionality of the building, the fan experience and creating a legacy.
“The functionality part is pretty straightforward, we want it to operate properly (which includes) all of the mechanical and electrical systems running properly and folks getting in and out the way they need to.”
Bonk also noted a concern that when roaming the concourse or heading to the concessions there is little indication that you are at MSU.
“There’s also the fan experience — when they walk in, which kind of ties into the legacy, do they really know they’re at MSU?” Bonk said. “Right now when you walk into Breslin, unless you look at the trophy case or you go into the arena itself on the concourse, you wouldn’t really know you were at MSU and we want to create a legacy factor there that folks knew where they were at.”
Bonk stated there were no seating renovations planned and that most of the work is planned at the concourse level.
“Most of the work is on the concourse,” Bonk said. “We’re expanding the concourse 17 feet all the way around, and building new bathrooms and new concessions. The entries will also be updated and expanded.”
