Kimmel Arena
Kimmel Arena is the home of the UNC Asheville Bulldogs basketball programs, both men and women's. It is a 3,200-seat arena located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina. Kimmel Arena, named for local businessman Joe Kimmel, is part of the much larger Wilma M. Sherrill Center, which is a 133,500-square-foot (12,400 m2) facility. The arena held its first games, both exhibitions, on November 7, 2011, and formally opened November 13, 2011, as UNC Asheville hosted the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. It replaces the Justice Center as UNCA's home court, but the latter will remain as a training facility and physical education complex.
| |
| Full name | Kimmel Arena (Wilma M. Sherrill Center) |
|---|---|
| Location | 227 Campus Drive Asheville, NC 28804 |
| Coordinates | 35.618°N 82.568°W |
| Owner | University of North Carolina at Asheville |
| Operator | University of North Carolina at Asheville |
| Capacity | 3,200 |
| Surface | Hardwood |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 30, 2008[1] |
| Opened | November 7, 2011 |
| Construction cost | $7 million[2] ($7.96 million in 2019 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Populous Bowers, Ellis and Watson |
| General contractor | Shelco Inc.[4] |
| Tenants | |
| UNC Asheville Bulldogs (2011-present) | |
Events
Past events include; Bulldog Basketball, the Gala Gymnastics Meet, Colt Ford - music concert, Florida Georgia Line – music concert, the Carolina Day Holiday classic basketball tournament, 2012 Big South Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, American Bridge Club regional tournament, and Gluten Free Food Expo.
References
- Bompey, Nanci (April 30, 2008). "Groundbreaking Held for $42M UNCA Health Center". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
- Zamplas, Pete (December 1, 2011). "New Kimmel Facilities Complement Rising Program". Asheville Tribune. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
- Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- "UNC Asheville Dedicates New Wilma M. Sherrill Center" (Press release). University of North Carolina at Asheville. April 11, 2011. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2014.