UC Students Shoot for Winning Basketball Designs

A local team of athletes and sports boosters, city agencies, and designers has been formed to build the future Greater Cincinnati Basketball Hall of Fame along the Ohio River at Sawyer Point.

The first step in building this local basketball memorial is a one-day brainstorming session among young designers from UC’s

College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning

, led by James Postell, associate professor of architecture and interior design.  About 100 students in all will meet from

8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10, 2004

, in classroom studios 7245 and 7265, DAAP.

“At this point, the hall of fame could take any form.  It could take the form of an actual basketball court.  It could take the form of a building or sculptural landforms.  There’s no limit on the creativity other than the site where the final design will be built, which is on land at Sawyer Point, directly under the Big Mac [Dan Carter Beard] bridge,” explained Postell, adding that the day’s designs will be collected and reviewed by the project’s sponsors.  Then, Postell and an advanced student design team will work throughout the winter to fine tune an idea approved by the project sponsors, which include the Cincinnati Recreation Commission and the Greater Cincinnati Basketball Hall of Fame Committee.

Once that design is finalized, fundraising for the Basketball Hall of Fame – which will celebrate players, coaches, schools and organizations prominent in local basketball – will begin, according to Stephanni Cohen of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission.  Final cost of the project could range from $200,000 to $500,000, depending on the design, she said, adding that once the design is finalized, fundraising might take about a year, with construction following.