In January of this year, F&M Bank Arena, located in downtown Clarksville, TN, celebrated its topping out ceremony. The multi-purpose event center, owned by Montgomery County and operated by Sabertooth Sports & Entertainment (a division of the Nashville Predators), is working towards an opening in the first half of 2023. The multi-tenant venue will feature a 6,000-seat arena, 24/7 community ice center, rehearsal hall for touring acts, and house the Austin Peay State University men’s and women’s basketball teams.

 

F&M Bank Arena has truly been a SSR One project, with our scope of work including most services offered to the vertical market. The SSR team was heavily involved in the design of the facility, providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering design; technology, audio-visual, and low voltage consulting; commissioning; and building enclosure services. Since moving into construction, representatives from our MEP team are on site monthly for periodic inspections while our commissioning and building enclosure services are ramping up their presence on site as construction progresses and equipment is installed.

 

One of the unique challenges the project has presented is how to appropriately zone the building with so many different tenants and usage schedules. On any given day, three distinct groups could be utilizing space in the venue: an act setting up in the main arena, APSU athletes participating in basketball practice, and community members enjoying the ice center. Our team strategically approached how to divide up access to the building and zone each distinct space for their usage needs.

 

As the interiors of the building start to come together, we anticipate being on-site for the ice floor concrete pour. Stay tuned for an inside look at the monolithic concrete pour and information about the precision needed to successfully achieve a joint-free slab.