The Jerome Schottenstein Center

Herrick Archives Number PH 081

A. IDENTIFICATION & LOCATION

1. Name

1.1 The Board of Trustees officially named the building ''The Jerome Schottenstein Center'' on February 6, 1998. It was named for Jerome Schottenstein, late Columbus businessman, philanthropist, and founder of the Schottenstein Stores Corporation for a $12.5 million donation.

1.2 Alternate names noted:

The Schott

2. Location

2.1 Located at 555 Borror Dr.

2.2 The venue is located on the northwest corner of Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road.

3. General Description

3.1 Type of construction:

Steel masonry skin.

3.2 No. of stories:

Six floors plus a basement.

3.3 Gross floor area of 581,427 sq. ft.

3.4 The basis for the project was to construct a new University arena with a seating capacity of approximately 19,500 to be used for basketball and other related University uses.

3.5 The Jerome Schottenstein Center seats 17,500 for hockey, 19,500 for basketball, and up to 21,000 for concerts.

3.6 There are 52 Hospitality Suites in the Center. Located at mid-level, they completely encircle the floor.

3.7 "The Winning Schott" is a merchandise store located on the east end of the entry-level concourse that features Buckeye apparel, gifts, and accessories.

3.8 An interactive site located in the center of the east entry concourse highlights Ohio State University Athletics depicted on 10 kiosks containing information about sports, teams, and players in a 1,370 sq. ft. space. The Hall of Fame room displays all Hall of Fame inductees. Visitors can also see a video presentation on the history of Ohio State Athletics.

B. SIGNIFICANT DATES

1. The architect/engineer contract was awarded on October 7, 1994.

2. The schematic design was approved on July 24, 1995.

3. The design development document was approved on December 15, 1995.

4. Groundbreaking occurred on March 2, 1996.

5. Construction document approval was on August 23, 1996.

6. Bid opening on November 12, 1996.

7. Contracts were awarded to contractors on December 11, 1996

8. Construction began on December 18, 1996.

9. The date of completion was October 29, 1998.

C. MISCELLANEOUS

1.The building houses men's/women's basketball, hockey, conventions, commencements, concerts, ice shows, national/international sporting events, and other educational, cultural, and artistic programs.

2. Alexis Smith was chosen to do the arena art (terrazzo floor).

3. Schottenstein Stores Corp. and Value City Stores gave a $12.5 million donation.

4. The main arena is named the "Value City Arena."

D. PLANNING & CONSTRUCTION

1. University associates who worked on the project include:

Project Captain: Heretta, Thomas
Project Assistant: Baldwin, Lisa

2. Architects: Moody/Nolan Ltd., Inc. (Columbus, Ohio), Sink Combs Dethlefs (Denver, Colorado)

3. On December 11, 1996, the Board of Trustees awarded contracts to the following contractors:

General: P.J. Dick, Inc.
Plumbing: Radico, Inc.
HVAC: Kirk Williams Company,
Electric: Romanoff Electric, Inc.

E. COST

1. The budget for the project was $110,105,688.80.

F. PHOTOGRAPHS

1. In Photoarchives:

2. Other:

The Lantern - June 19, 1995
The Buckeye Beat - Vol. 2, No. 7, September 1995
The Lantern - May 16, 2000