Joe Battista is just like a kid at Christmas.
Nestled away in his office at the Bryce Jordan Center, Battista grins from ear-to-ear as he talks about the progress at the site where the $88 million state of the art ice hockey arena is being built.
“Every day there’s more and more tangible evidence that something big is coming,” Battista said. “I find myself going over there at least once a day. I want to go over and see what kind of progress they’re making.”
Near the corner of University Drive and Curtin Road, progress is being made. If you work or live nearby, chances are that you’ve heard some of the blasting that has gone on in an effort to move earth. If you’ve driven by the site, chances are that you’ve noticed some of the construction equipment that’s being used to ready the land for Penn State’s newest athletic facility.
Battista, Penn State’s Associate Athletic Director, is the brains behind it all.
And just like that kid at Christmas, Battista is all smiles as he shows off his toys. First, he breaks out his iPhone to show a video of one of the blasts. He recorded it and after the blast is complete, cheers and clapping can be heard in the background of the recording.
But his favorite toy is the computer. Not the computer itself, of course, but a program that allows him to watch a simulation of the Pegula Ice Arena being built. The program starts with a blank piece of land and as the dates progress, the foundation is poured, walls rise and seats are installed. Toward the end of the simulation, the arena nears completion.
“It’s a three-dimensional viewing of it and it’s just unbelievable. You can see the progress, see the dates. It’s amazing. You get into the first week of April. At that point you can see the foundation and concrete. By the time the first football game rolls around in September, you can see them putting actual decking in. People will see a building taking shape. But it’s neat that it takes just a couple of minutes to watch a year-and-a-half process take place,” Battista said.
As for the project itself, Battista admits that it can get overwhelming at times.
“This is the first project of this scale that I’ve worked on, so it’s been a big learning curve for me. The team that we have — we refer to ourselves as ‘Team Pegula’ — we’re all just thrilled. There’s so much excitement. We’ve worked so well together. It’s been a blast just watching the whole process take shape,” Battista said.
Kim and Terry Pegula, of course, are the money behind the operation. Their $88 million gift is funding the project — one of the largest in the history of Penn State athletics.
According to Battista, he checks in with the Pegulas, who now own the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League.
“We meet periodically with the Pegulas to bring them up to speed. We meet with them every four to five months. We don’t need to bog them down with details, but we’ve kept them in the loop. They’ve helped pick out color schemes and things. This has been a pretty unique project because you don’t typically get a gift that builds you the whole building,” Battista said.
And while Battista has kept the Pegulas “in the loop,” they’re in the background of the entire project. For the crew working on the project, that’s a very good thing.
“There’s always concern on the part of the people building the building when someone is giving that kind of money they’re going to want to sit there and hover over everything. That’s not been the case. Certainly, they have the right to be in on part of the decisions. But they’ve been a part of the team. They are very open-minded when we come to them,” Battista said.
Since the gift was announced in January 2011, Battista has traveled the country, visiting various hockey arenas — semi-pro, collegiate and professional. He’s been able to gather ideas to incorporate into Penn State’s venue.
Most recently, Battista toured Notre Dame’s recently-built Compton Family Ice Arena.
In South Bend, Battista saw some things he liked, saw some things he didn’t and saw some things that can be improved upon when they’re incorporated at the Pegula Ice Arena.
“It was great because that facility is very similar to ours. It’s a double-sheet facility. They were so willing to work with us and let us see a finished product. I saw how exciting the atmosphere was there. They played Michigan State and it was a standing room only crowd. That’s the kind of excitement we’ll have here,” Battista said.
In addition to the Pegula’s donation, Penn State has been able to bring in another $25 million in funding for the program and the arena. By the time the arena is finished, Battista hopes to have totaled $112 million for the 200,000-square-foot, 6,000-seat arena.
“We’re still raising additional monies. People always ask ‘You’ve got $88 million, why do you need more money?’ Well, you’re not just building the building. You have to prepare for all of the things that are coming down the pike,” Battista said. “Most of the time, it’s that first year when a building opens that you make most of the modifications. We want the programs to be self-sufficient. Our goal is to endow every scholarship that we’ll offer. Right now, we’ve fully-endowed 20 of the 36. We’re getting there.”
Shortly before our deadline, Battista, men’s head coach Guy Gadowsky and several others involved with the program were going on a “virtual tour” of the building at Penn State’s applied research lab.
“This thing is so cool. You essentially put on virtual reality goggles and you can walk around and get a 360-degree view of the arena. You can say, ‘Is that how it’s going to look? Leave that in or take that out.’ It’s just amazing stuff,” Battista said.
Someday soon, though, Battista knows he won’t have to put on goggles and imagine what the facility looks like.
“We’re on budget, we’re ahead of schedule,” Battista said. “I like where we are.”
Chris Morelli is a writer/editor who lives in Centre County and covers Penn State athletics for gantnews.com. He is a regular on “Sports Central” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. Email him at morellionlion@gmail.com.