Bankers Life Fieldhouse unveils Phase 1 renovations of Fieldhouse of the Future project

The Pacers, Fever and Bankers Life Fieldhouse unveiled Phase 1 renovations of the Fieldhouse of the Future project Thursday, which remains on schedule despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

‘The Fieldhouse of the Future’ reveal

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The project, which is separated into three phases over three years, started from the “bottom-up” with many of the renovations in Phase 1 addressing “infrastructure, mechanical, electrical, plumbing,”said Mel Raines, executive vice president for Corporate Communications, Community Engagement, and Facility Operations. 

The 25-year lease extension Pacers owner Herb Simon signed in 2019 set aside $295 million to upgrade the Fieldhouse, and Phase 1 was its largest undertaking, using 50% of the available funds, Raines said. Bankers Life Fieldhouse added a larger, center-hung scoreboard, new seating, sideline clubs and suites and renovated the Indiana Fever locker room, workout facility and practice court.

© Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar
This is the basketball court with a large new LED center-hung scoreboard with more than 3,350 square feet of video area, two LED rings and screens underneath, seen during the Fieldhouse of the Future Phase 1 Renovations Reveal and Media Walkthrough Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

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“I absolutely believe we’re the best basketball gym in this country,” Pacers Sports & Entertainment President & COO Rick Fuson said. “And I think it’s become better.”

The work on Phase 1 began in March, but without understanding the scope of the disruptions COVID-19 would cause, the renovations quickly took a two-week hiatus, Raines said. The first project they would start on was renovating the Salesforce court where the Fever practice, and moving it up a level. 

“We didn’t want to take the practice court out if we couldn’t build it back in when we’d need it,” Raines said. So, they took a pause. They evaluated their supply-chain issues and adjusted their schedule. But since they returned, the pandemic and its impact have not caused any delay to the renovations.

© Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar
This is the Courtside Club, with TVs everywhere seen during the Fieldhouse of the Future Phase 1 Renovations Reveal and Media Walkthrough Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

The 350 construction workers on the project wore masks, and in the event of a positive test among them, contact tracing  identified those who needed to be isolated, allowing work to continue.

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The scoreboard was not initially planned in the Phase 1 renovations, but the postponement of the 2020-21 NBA season’s start to late December,  allowed it to be tacked onto the first phase. Additionally, any things that were moved about the time of  the start of Phase 1 in March were backloaded and completed due to the extra time.

Many of the first renovations appeal to the “exclusivity” of the experience for ticket-holders of premium seating, said Todd Taylor, executive vice president, chief sales and marketing officer. Additions include the ‘67 club,  a storage space-turned speakeasy-type club (named after the year the team was founded); and the Hardwood club, an upscale sports bar. They  will serve ticket-holders in the first five rows of the arena with all-inclusive food and drink. The suites were modeled to give a dinner party feel with an island table, a bar area and, of course, plush stadium seats for watching the game.

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In assition to the premium seats, ADA compliant seats were added courtside and standing decks will be added to allow people to gather.

“The building, while it may have the same capacity, the way that we get there might be a bit different,” Taylor said.

In the underbelly of the stadium, the six Star rooms for when the stadium is converted into a concert venue were consolidated into a single space with retractable walls. The  Fever practice court was moved so it could share a level with its weight room and locker room. The Fever’s locker room — which was a converted hockey locker room, Fuson said — was expanded.

Raines said the project would take advantage of closures in Summer 2021 and Summer 2022 to continue working on adding infrastructure, but for the next 18 months, there will always be something to do no matter if the stadium is open or closed. Raines said they would begin working on “pardon our dust” projects, which will take place while the stadium is in use.

The Phase 2 projects will start to show some changes to the venue’s exterior, beginning with the tearing down of the parking garage, which will be transformed into the heart of a new plaza adjacent to the stadium.

“I never thought I’d live the day to see it be better,” Fuson said, “but it’s a new building and it’s really, really going to be strong when we’re done.”

Follow IndyStar reporter Michael McCleary on Twitter @mikejmccleary.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Bankers Life Fieldhouse unveils Phase 1 renovations of Fieldhouse of the Future project