Irvine : UCI Names Contractor for Bren Events Center

UC Irvine has announced that Saffel & McAdams Inc. of Irvine will be the general contractor for the new auditorium-gymnasium on campus, the Donald Bren Events Center.

The privately funded building is scheduled to be completed late this year, the university announced.

The new structure, for which Bren, the chairman of the Irvine Co., gave a $1-million personal gift in 1984, will be three stories high and seat 5,000. It will house the playing court for UCI’s Anteaters basketball team and will also be the site for major cultural events offered by the university.

“Since the center will host a variety of events, unique features include theatrical lighting and special sound systems,” said Lloyd Ross, president of the contracting firm. “The building’s flexible design will allow it to accommodate almost any kind of indoor event.”

The $13.5-million center, for which ground was broken last year, was designed by Parkin Architects of Los Angeles.