HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Sp
orts Arena will be, for the most part, finished when the National Tournament begins in three weeks.
Still there will be a few small things that might not be ready. Most are cosmetic in nature and officials with JE Dunn assure that, other than a few cosmetic items, the south foyer will be ready to sell tickets and be fully functional. That includes the south parking lot, which was poured today. Last month it was announced that it would not be done for the tournament, but the warm weather gave crews enough time to get the job completed.
Some things that won’t be finished include the floor of the south foyer, which will be polished, the third level restrooms, the overhead doors on one of the concession stands, and a portion of the exterior landscaping and signage.
Also, the concrete work inside the arena itself and the metal trim about the basketball court itself will still need to be worked on.
There was continued discussion on some of the sightlines for seats in the arena. ADA rules require higher railings and that is limiting the view for about 70-80 seats, although some were not as bad as first thought. The American Legion is moving tournament season ticket holders to other seats and those affected will be sold as limited site seats. The arena already has several areas like that about the concrete and steel arches that make up the roof of the building.
The cost to change the railings to glass would be about $55 thousand. Since nothing can be done before the tournament, the matt
er will come up for discussion at the next committee meeting.
