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Rowan University is taking the next step in its quest to build a new sports and entertainment arena, issuing a call for developers interested in partnering with the South Jersey college on the 5,000- to 7,000-seat project.
The proposal calls for a private developer to enter into a land-lease agreement with the university where the firm would design, construct and operate the arena on the university's Glassboro campus.
The vision for the arena comes as Rowan explores the possibility of elevating its 18 athletic programs from Division III to the NCAA's top D-I athletic division. Rowan's basketball team currently plays in the 1,150-seat Esbjornson Gymnasium.
In addition to athletics, Rowan also envisions the field house playing host to commencement ceremonies, concerts, conventions and sports tournaments.
During a June interview with the Philadelphia Business Journal, Rowan President Ali Houshmand estimated the project would cost roughly $100 million. The arena would be built along 24 acres of Rowan's predominantly undeveloped West Campus near routes 55 and 322.
Responses to a recently issued request for qualifications for interested developers are due to the university by Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.
Rowan is seeking interested teams to "articulate a vision and development strategy for the site that includes sustainable, innovative and revenue-producing development possibilities."
A short list of three preferred developers will be made after a review of the submissions, and Rowan will then proceed to a thorough request for proposals process. After a developer is selected from the RFP, the school would enter into exclusive negotiations for the ground lease and development of the site.
The arena would be a piece of Houshmand's goal to elevate the public university's status to be both a Division I and Research 1 institution. In the next five or so years, Houshmand has estimated the school could spend more than $500 million on capital projects at the 300-acre West Campus.
Houshmand has said he is looking to grow Rowan's enrollment over the next decade from the 23,000 students it has right now to 40,000.
