Basketball Ireland has announced ambitious plans for a €35m redevelopment of the National Basketball Arena, with planning permission submitted and a proposed start date for construction in 2025.
The new multi-sport and multi-use arena will double its current capacity from 1,600 to 3,300. The proposed works are expected to take 18 months and be completed in time for the start of the 2026/27 season.
Funding to build the new facility will be sought through government support, via the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF), with applications due to open early in 2024.
Basketball Ireland will also look to raise funds via a naming rights partner for the new Arena, along with a philanthropic programme, general fundraising, commercial sources and prudent lending, where required.
The 8000 square metre facility will have space for four basketball courts, it will be a fully accessible and inclusive facility for all sports participants. It will also house a gym and café, along with corporate facilities and office space for Basketball Ireland staff.
The project has the support of Badminton Ireland, Irish Squash and Volleyball Ireland, who have all expressed an interest in using the new state-of-the-art amenity.
Basketball Ireland will submit plans today for a €35m redevelopment of the National Basketball Arena that will see capacity double to 3,300, including four basketball courts, a gym, café and corporate facilities.
See more via the 🔗 below. #Greenmeansgo ☘️ | #AndNew— Basketball Ireland (@BballIrl) December 19, 2023
“The new Arena will provide a best-in-class indoor sports facility, which will cater for multiple sports, along with it being a premium indoor event space,” said Basketball Ireland CEO John Feahan.
“It will be the home of Irish basketball and illustrates the passion and drive within the organisation to continue the growth of the game.”
“Sport plays such a vital role in Irish society and this will be a wonderful resource, not just for the local community, but for the country as a whole.”
“The current National Basketball Arena was built in 1993 and while it has served us well, it needs an upgrade to future-proof the venue and help continue the progress of the sport,” added Basketball Ireland Chair, Seamas Donnelly.
The National Basketball Arena caters for every level of basketball – from schools, colleges, wheelchair, Masters and SOCIA-Ball, to the elite level of our National League and National Cup, along with being the venue for Irish international teams competing in FIBA EuroBasket and FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
“This new multi-sport Arena will be a huge asset to the Irish sporting landscape in Ireland and it’s wonderful to have the support of other indoor sports – Badminton Ireland, Irish Squash and Volleyball Ireland – for the project.”
Environmental considerations have also been factored in, with 55 EV charge points and solar panels to ensure the building will be constructed to the highest energy-efficient standards. The new Arena will have an air-to-water heating system for heating and PV electric generation.
There will be rainwater collection and reuse, a green roof for sustainable drainage, and augmentation of wildlife habitat, while much of the landscaping will feature native wildflowers. In addition, extensive bicycle storage will be available for those traveling to the Arena.
The new Arena has been designed by NBK Architects.
“We wanted to bring a visually impressive look to the home of Irish basketball, while its function was at the forefront of our minds in design, ensuring it is a multi-sport and multi-use Arena, with the ability to house trade shows, conferences and functions,” said Architect Mark Whelan.
“The aesthetic is intentionally simple and refined and designed to present a building that is in context with its city edge location, taking cues from buildings that line the M50. The Arena building is principally clad in aluminium cladding to the walls, with a large trussed roof. The colour scheme is primarily dark tones, to work with the verdant surroundings, with elements in orange as a nod to the sport that the facility is dedicated to.”
This is an ambitious project, hitting all the right notes in terms of multi-use and multi-sport and would be a brilliant addition to the country’s sporting infrastructure. It will be competing with other projects for a finite LSSIF pot of money as its core funding element but again, the multi-sport benefit can be a winner there, as it was with the St Thomas’s Athletics and Multi-sport project a couple of junctions down the M50.
