Campbell gets $1 million grant for new arena

Campbell University has received a $1 million grant from the Michigan-based Kresge Foundation to help with the construction of a 109,000 square-foot entertainment and sports center expected to be completed by fall 2008.

Campbell President Jerry Wallace said the university was able to meet the foundation’s challenge of raising $34 million by June 1, 2007, months ahead of the deadline. The $34 million total includes construction costs for the facility, named the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center, plus a $5 million maintenance endowment.

“The grant from the Kresge Foundation was instrumental in leveraging the support that allowed Campbell not only to meet rising construction costs but to surpass its initial campaign goal of $30 million,” Wallace said. “We are grateful to all of our supporters and to the Kresge Foundation for helping to make the largest capital campaign in our history a success.”

The center will brings student, athletic and community events into one venue for the Buies Creek university. It includes an area with seating for up to 5,000 people. It also will be home to a sports hall of fame, classrooms, hospitality and practice suites, faculty offices, locker rooms, and a 5,000 square-foot fitness facility.

The Kresge Foundation, based in Troy, Mich., is a $3 billion national foundation focused on supporting non-profit organizations. The Foundation concentrates its programming on capital campaigns. In 2005, the foundation awarded 216 grants totaling nearly $132 million to organizations in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Mexico.