As Miami University continues to plan how it will evolve over the next decade to strengthen the student experience, enrich Oxford, and foster economic development in the region, it is exploring building a new multipurpose arena in place of Millett Hall, which opened in 1968 and would require more than $80 million in renovations in the near term. 

The university recently appointed a committee of faculty, staff, and alumni to review potential arena locations, working closely with the Physical Facilities Department Office of Planning, Architecture, and Engineering.

The committee has identified two sites for consideration and is asking for community feedback as it explores those locations further. 

• Cook Field site: The potential site would be located adjacent to the proposed hotel and restaurant near the Farmer School of Business, Bachelor Hall, and Shideler Hall. Pulley Tower would remain, but the intramural fields would be permanently relocated to another location on campus that would be convenient for students. A master plan would be developed for the entire Cook Field site that would provide for future projects, such as a conference center being integrated into the overall site in the future. 
• Southwest Quad site: The potential site would be located near Goggin, the Recreational Sports Center, and the Campus Avenue Garage, and sit along Spring Street and the corner of Oak Street. Following previously designed campus plans, space will be created as Williams Hall, Wells Hall, and Joyner House are taken down, as planned. Bonham House would also be taken down if this site were selected. Programs in Williams Hall will be moved to the renovated Bachelor Hall. Bonham House is currently home to the Myaamia Center, which would be relocated to another location on campus. We will work closely with the Myaamia Center to ensure they have adequate space to support their important research and programming. 

Offices and programs that could be affected have been consulted on these possible plans. Both potential sites have sufficient space to allow the arena to be constructed with a volleyball arena and practice basketball facilities on one level, which will minimize construction costs. Miami is currently exploring options for design and opportunities for philanthropic funding as part of Miami’s billion dollar campaign, For love. For honor. For those who will.

The committee is confident that potential impacts to intramural spaces and parking availability in these locations can be mitigated or offset through concurrent campus planning initiatives.

Please share your feedback with this short survey by Feb 3.

Participants must provide their name and a valid email address to submit feedback for this survey.

Ideally, the site of a new multipurpose arena would be centrally located on campus, within walking distance for students and to Uptown Oxford, able to hold multiple events concurrently, and could better host university and city events, such as lectures, convocations, concerts, career fairs, and graduations.

As Miami considers this and other potential projects through the strategic planning lens, it will prioritize those projects that benefit students and the community and strengthen the local economy of its campuses. 

View a map of the Oxford Campus that identifies both the Cook Field site and the Southwest Quad site >> PDF

View a map of the Cook Field site >> PDF