The design development phase of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center expansion project is complete, and officials are providing a first look at an architectural rendering of the new $130 million arena that will be added to the facility.
The exterior design for the arena is inspired by the history and natural environment of Rapid City and the surrounding Black Hills, according to a news release from the Civic Center. Features include red and copper-tone finishes highlighted by nodes of glass.
The nearly 250,000-square-foot arena will be home to Rodeo Rapid City, Black Hills Powwow, Lakota Nation Invitational and other sports and entertainment events.
The majority of arena seats will be located on the facility’s south and west ends. Other features of the multi-purpose venue will include the flexibility to host end-stage and center-stage concerts, family shows, circuses, basketball and large-scale wrestling tournaments, as well as open-floor exhibitions.
Both the upper and lower levels will load from one main concourse, creating a gathering area for event-goers. The design caters to the next generation of fans, the news release said, featuring open and transparent concourses, additional social spaces within view of the action, and a variety of experiential and premium seating options. Additional operational efficiencies include improved load-in/load-out capabilities that will allow the facility to accommodate a wider variety of concerts and shows.
Rushmore Plaza Civic Center officials have worked with the project’s architectural firms, Perkins + Will and JLG Architects, to create and approve the design and development concepts. Mortenson Construction and Scull Construction will begin work on the project, which is located on the west side of the existing Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, this fall.
“We’re just months away from seeing big changes at the Civic Center,” said Civic Center Executive Director Craig Baltzer.
Officials anticipate an official groundbreaking for the new arena around Nov. 1 with facility completion scheduled for fall 2021.
