Last week, both the media and the general public got their first looks inside the brand new John Paul Jones Arena during a series of open houses held Friday and Saturday. The first event to be hosted in the $129.8 million facility will be Cirque de Soleil's Delirium Aug. 1.
Other events already booked include concerts by such renowned musical acts as James Taylor, The Wiggles, Kenny Chesney, Dave Matthews and Eric Clapton. The arena is also scheduled to host WWE's Monday Night Raw (with an appearance by Hulk Hogan), Disney on Ice, Larry the Cable Guy, the Lipizzaner Stallions and the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus.
"The facility speaks for itself," Larry Wilson, the general manager of SMG, the facilities management company contracted to manage JPJ, said Thursday to an assembled group of local media. "We want to host as many events as possible, with as diverse of a lineup as possible."
VMDO Architects designed the unique architectural plan for the building.
The completed arena is the product of many years of in-depth preparation, according to Leonard Sandridge, University executive vice president and chief operating officer. JPJ is one of very few arenas on the East Coast to be funded entirely by private, self-generated money. A 20-year business plan was developed in order for the arena to be constructed in an economically viable fashion. Sandridge hopes that 500,000-600,000 people will attend events at JPJ in its first year.
"This effort was a major one for us," Sandridge said at the media open house. "The facility was built for our students and our community."
The main purpose of the arena will be to provide a premier home for the men's and women's basketball programs as well as services for many of Virginia's other varsity sports.
"We talk about winning championships," executive associate athletics director John Oliver said. "This arena will help us achieve that."
Oliver also added that the building will help attract elite recruits to Virginia's basketball programs.
All of Virginia's student-athletes will profit from what JPJ has to offer. Athletes will be able to eat at the facility's 350-seat dining room as well as study in the arena's academic center.
"The dining facility is tremendous," Virginia football coach Al Groh said. "We're going to realize great benefit from it."
Groh added that the football program's academic center will remain in the McCue Center.
JPJ features three indoor basketball practice courts that ensure that both the men's and women's basketball programs will have at least 1.5 courts to practice, no matter what is taking place out on the arena's main floor.
One of JPJ's most eye-pleasing attributes is its state-of-the-art, $7.5 million audio-visual system. The main scoreboard above the court will feature Mitsubishi Diamond Vision, which is used at many of the nation's modern professional arenas.
Fans will benefit from increased food options as well as bathroom facilities. JPJ's 56 concession stands will sell food from vendors including AFC Sushi, Wild Wing Café, Dominic's of New York, Boardwalk Fries, Greenberry's, Ben and Jerry's, Dippin' Dots and Pepsi. There will be 45 bathrooms throughout the building with 369 toilets.
JPJ's basketball capacity will be 15, 219, making it the fourth-largest in the ACC, behind North Carolina's Dean Smith Center, N.C. State's RBC Center and Maryland's Comcast Center.
Saturday, JPJ's general public open house saw thousands of people walk through the arena's doors for the first time. Free hot dogs were offered as was face painting for children. Many visitors also purchased tickets for upcoming events at the new building.
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