California University of Pennsylvania Convocation Center
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| Location | California University of Pennsylvania, California, PA |
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| Coordinates | 40°03′47″N 79°52′54″W / 40.0631452°N 79.8817635°W |
| Owner | California University of Pennsylvania |
| Operator | California University of Pennsylvania |
| Capacity | 6,000 |
| Field size | 142,000 square feet (13,200 m2) |
| Surface | Hardwood |
| Scoreboard | Daktronics |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 5, 2009 |
| Built | September 2009 – present |
| Opened | December 3, 2011 |
| Construction cost | USD $ 59 Million |
| Architect | L. Robert Kimball & Associates |
| General contractor | Whiting-Turner Contracting Company |
| Main contractors | WG Tomko, Inc., A-1 Electric Service, Inc., Ryco, Inc., Wayne Crouse, Inc., |
| Tenants | |
| California Vulcans | |
The California University of Pennsylvania Convocation Center is a multi-purpose arena in California, Pennsylvania, United States. The arena is the home of the California Vulcans men and women's basketball and volleyball teams, as well as the host of graduation commencement. The Convocation Center is able to host other sporting events, concerts, and trade shows, featuring a removable hardwood surface. The building, covering over 142,000 sq. feet, is the largest indoor venue between Morgantown, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Cal U Convocation Center is also home to the "Rivers Bend Conference Center," which features executive-level conferencing facilities. Also included in the venue are "smart" classrooms, configurable for large or small-group presentations, high-tech audio and visual systems, wireless Internet access, webcams, videoconferencing equipment, and interactive response systems. The building replaces the Vulcans previous basketball and volleyball arena, Hamer Hall, which opened its doors in 1965.
A ceremonial ground-breaking ceremony was held on August 5, 2009. The convocation center was constructed across from Hamer Hall in the area which previously served as the Hamer Parking Lot. While the University is looking for a sponsor for naming rights, the building has been officially deemed the "California University Convocation Center." Dr. Angelo Armenti, President of Cal U, stated in the groundbreaking ceremony that the center "will be a landmark building for our campus,”and “Besides meeting the University’s needs, it will serve as a cultural resource and contribute to the economic vitality of Southwestern Pennsylvania.”
On August 3, 2010, a topping-off ceremony was held at the construction site to mark the placement of the final of the forty-six steel trusses on the building's frame.
Construction of the building took approximately two years and three months to complete. Construction has forced the closure of multiple streets, lots, and intersections, including the Hamer Parking Lot, Hamer Way, the intersection of Hamer and Third Street, the Third Street entrance to the river parking lot, as well as a two-year-old recreational basketball court. The Convocation Center's location had created a parking quagmire on campus, as construction of a new parking garage located behind the Manderino Library did not open until Fall of 2010, leaving a full year of school without enough parking on campus.
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