The Dean E. Smith Activities Center, which is otherwise known as the Dean Smith Center or the Dean Dome, has been home to the men’s basketball team of UNC for almost four decades. Through various delays, investigations, and donors, the original building was completed in 1986.
Since then, the complex has been renovated multiple times to be updated over the course of the years. From new locker rooms to new scoreboards and everything in between, the renovations have been done.
However, structurally, it has remained the same 21,570-seat capacity stadium since 1986. Still iconic, the Dean Dome holds the fourth-largest seating capacity of any college basketball arena in Division One.
Despite that, the university has been searching for over a decade to completely renovate or relocate the iconic arena. Now, they have narrowed their relocation possibilities to six destinations, including two off-campus locations.
According to Inside Carolina, those sites include Carolina North, Friday Center, Smith Center Replacement, Smith Center Renovation, Bowles Parking Lot, and Odum Village.
It remains to see the speed at which any of this will take place. Keep in mind, that getting to this point has taken years of research, planning, and developing. There are still years to come before any of this would come to fruition.
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