Save Mart Center at Fresno State

A Catalyst for Local Economic Development

The experience of the Clark project team together with the support of your office and the corporate office guaranteed a successful project. The ability of your team to deliver a complex project of this type ahead of schedule and within budget is to be commended. In addition, you exceeded the goal of having the majority of the work accomplished by local subcontractors. The entire project team always had a ‘can do’ attitude and always put the client first.

Deborah S. Adishian-Astone, Executive Director of Auxiliary Services, Save Mart Center

Location:

Fresno, California

Client:

California State University, Fresno

Architect:

Sink Comb Dethlefs

Size:

476,000 Square Feet

Year Completed:

2003

Sector:

Education

Sports & Entertainment

Expertise:

Preconstruction

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With capacity for up to 18,000 spectators, the Save Mart Center at Fresno State was the largest privately funded project in the history of the California State University system at the time. The facility, which was named Best Sports Project of 2004 by California Construction Magazine, serves as one of the premier event facilities for Central California and a landmark architectural element for Fresno State.

The 467,000 square-foot Save Mart Center offers 32 private suites, 1,000 club seats, a club-level concourse, team locker rooms and athletic training facilities. Home to the Bulldogs, the sports and entertainment venue has a clear height in the arena bowl of over 75 feet, a height tall enough to encompass a six-story building. The Clark-led project team used over 4.25 million pounds of structural steel on the construction of this facility. The venue also includes state-of-the-art video, sound, and telecommunications systems.

Save Mart Center's façade features punched windows and a stucco skin, and the 92-foot tall Larry A. Shehadey Clock Tower is a striking gateway into the arena. The structure is buried 32 feet below grade so that the concourse entrance is at ground level. Visitors are able to walk in directly from the parking lot. Additionally, the ground-level concourse eliminates a large number of stairs and excessive circulation for visitors.

The sports arena served as a catalyst for Central California’s economic development. With an estimated population base of three million within the nine-county region, the Save Mart Center offers a variety of events to serve a growing community. At the time of construction, the sports and entertainment venue was the largest venue of its type in Central California.

Awards:

California Construction Magazine's Best of 2004 Competition