July 31, 2001

Charlottesville, Va. - VMDO Architects of Charlottesville has been approved by the University of Virginia's Board of Visitors as the principal architect of Virginia's new arena project. VMDO hired Ellerbe Beckett of Minneapolis, Minn., as a consultant on the project.

VMDO has been involved in a number of athletic facilities projects at UVa, including the construction and design of Klockner Staduim, and the expansion and renovation of the Carl Smith Center, home of David A. Harrison III Field at Scott Stadium. The firm is also designing improvements at the UVa Baseball Field.

In June, an anonymous donor pledged $20 million -- the second-largest gift ever made to Virginia's athletics department -- to allow the University to proceed with planning a new basketball arena.