Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/05/26

Key Takeaways

  • Miami University approved a $242 million multipurpose arena at Cook Field, planned as a central hub for student life and an events district, with completion targeted for fall 2028.
  • The new facility will replace the aging 1968-built Millett Hall, whose renovation would cost at least $175 million and require shutting the building down for several years.
  • The arena will support multiple student events and major gatherings—including commencements, career fairs, and concerts—while adding new amenities like basketball practice courts and a volleyball arena and supporting regional economic development.

Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus; it has an estimated completion date of fall 2028.

“This is a student-centered project that will create a vibrant new space intended to bring people together and support and engage our students,” said university president Gregory Crawford. “A new arena will provide the foundation for an events district in the heart of campus to benefit students, reinvigorate the community, and strengthen our local economy.”

The existing arena, Millett Hall, was built in 1968 and is now facing both space limitations and ongoing maintenance challenges. An estimated renovation project would have cost at least $175 million and taken the building out of service for several years, according to the news release.

The new arena will provide space for multiple, concurrent student events and activities, as well as a venue for commencements, career fairs, concerts and other creative performances, and more. Amenities not available in the existing facility will include two basketball practice courts and a volleyball arena, according to the project’s website.

“A new, multi-purpose arena will provide Miami with the type of state-of-the-art facility in line with large state-funded, research-focused institutions of higher education that have strong national reputations, growing student demand, and renowned student experiences,” said Adam Beissel, Sport Leadership and Management associate professor. “Anchoring a new multi-purpose arena within a larger mixed-use development project will open new opportunities for revenue generation, enhanced student experiences, and serve an important public purpose for the city, county, and Southwest Ohio region.”

According to the news release, construction on new recreation facilities at two existing fields will occur between May and September 2026 to allow Cook Field to be taken out of service. Construction on the new arena will begin after that.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • UNT Dallas Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for $100M STEM Building

    The University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas, recently celebrated the opening of its new, $100-million STEM Building, according to local news. The ceremony on Dec. 2 preceded the first day of classes in the facility on Jan. 12, 2026.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Moline-Coal Valley School District to Consolidate Two Schools into New Facility

    The Moline-Coal Valley School District in Moline, Ill., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff from two existing schools, according to local news. Robert Ontiveros Elementary School will serve as the new home for Lincoln-Irving Elementary School and Willard Elementary School.

  • Minnesota Middle School Finishes $23.5M Addition and Modernization

    Highland Park Middle School in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $23.5-million addition and remodel project, according to a news release. Saint Paul Public Schools partnered with ATS&R Planners, Architects & Engineers for its design and Kraus-Anderson for its construction.