DeBolt has plenty of help from others. They also walk each row to make sure seats have the correct numbers. It’s a good workout for everyone navigating the arena.
“My step meter has been very happy the last five months,” DeBolt said. “I’ve hit my goal 90 percent of the time.”
» PHASE TWO COVERAGE: UD provides glimpse of work in summer | Busy period of construction
The University of Dayton will also hit its goal of finishing phase two of the three-year, $72 million renovation. Fans of the Dayton Flyers can see the latest updates Nov. 1 when the women’s basketball team plays Indianapolis at 7 p.m. in an exhibition game and the next night when the men’s team plays Capital at 7 p.m. in another exhibition.
The real games start the following week with the men’s team playing North Florida at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 and the women’s team opening the season against Colgate at 11 a.m. Nov. 9.
Everything will be ready to go even if the arena will still have plenty of signs of continuing work.
"We're moving along," DeBolt said Friday. "We've got just under three weeks to have everything ready. Things are coming together. The biggest thing people have to remember is just like last year it's an ongoing construction site. If people drive by it today and look at it and say, 'It doesn't look like it's going to be finished,' well some of the exterior stuff won't be completely done. We'll still have temporary fencing around some of the corners, but from an occupancy standpoint and to play basketball and all that stuff, we'll be ready to go by Nov. 1."
It was always in the plan to have work continue year round. When phase two began in April, DeBolt said it may be the busiest stretch of the renovations. That work continues as the season nears. In the next three weeks, workers will put the finishing touches on some areas, painting walls, installing graphics, getting new concession equipment up and running, etc.
» MORE ON UD ARENA: Biggest project in UD history | When can fans expect changes? | What coaches have to say about renovations
» RELATED: Five things that changed in 2017
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