On time and below budget.

It s not often you hear that sentence used in conjunction with a construction project especially when it s a large-scale site such as the $105 million Lucas County Multi-Purpose Arena.

But Tim Meyer, project manager for the construction firm Lathrop Co., which is managing the construction, is pleased with his company s progress.

Lucas County residents are likely to be pleased, too, he said, once the arena opens its doors in October.

Lucas County Multi-Purpose Arena is the future home to the city s hockey team, the Walleye, and the arenafootball2 franchise the Bullfrogs, as well as an expected stopover for many concert headliners. Depending on its configuration, the arena will seat more than 8,000 people, slightly less than the old Sports Arena.

The new arena features three tiers: the event level, the concourse level, and the suite-club seating level.

The event level is the ground floor of the arena. It features two separate entrances, from the north at the intersection of Madison Avenue and North Superior Street, and the main entrance from the southwest at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and North Huron Street. It offers a ticket booth accessible from the outside as well as inside a gift shop, and a concession stand. There are four locker rooms on the event level: one for each pro franchise, one for the opposing teams, and an extra locker room for times when the arena hosts tournaments. The event level also features a large banquet hall for up to 250 people and will be available for parties or other events. It opens onto Huron Street.

The concourse level might as well be the main floor. The level features the bulk of the arena s restrooms, restaurants, concession stands, including hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, and ice cream, and its seating encircles the arena floor, with the front-row seats only a few feet from the ice or turf.

The new arena s seats are the industry standard of 19 inches in width. (A few chairs are an inch or two wider to make the rows line up, but good luck finding them.) All seats feature a three-inch cushioned bottom and a cushioned fabric-covered back, as well as a cupholder located on the back of the seat in front.

At the east end of the arena is a 20-by-30-foot video display and a 600-foot ribbon board video display. Also at the concourse level are two party suites available for individual game rentals. The suites feature carpeted floors, two flat-screen TVs, a sink, cabinets, and a buffet counter, as well as an under-the-counter fridge, and fixed seating for 12, although a suite can accommodate more than a dozen patrons at once.

The suite and club level is the upscale floor and only accessible to those with tickets to its suites or seats. There are 22 suites on the level 11 each on the north and south sides of the arena which are slightly smaller than the concourse-level party suites. The club-level seats are cantilevered in front of the suites, and placed directly above the concourse seating.

The suite and club level features a large full-service bar and gathering area on the west end of the arena.

When you first enter the arena, make sure to look above you to see the large pieces of white acoustical ceiling, known as clouds, hanging from the black deck above.

A big hope for the Lucas County Multi-Purpose Arena is that it draws patrons to downtown and helps kick off urban renewal. So it s only fitting that the arena call attention to that mission with large windows instead of walls offering impressive views of downtown Toledo, including Fifth Third Field, and down Superior Street to The Blade, as well as a portion of the riverfront.

And for the environmentally conscious, you ll be pleased to know the Lucas County Multi-Purpose Arena is close to receiving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for its eco-friendly initiatives, including waterless urinals and automated faucets, microturbines to heat water and generate electricity, and heat-recovery ventilators on the roof to collect heat and suck it back down, among other features.

We need to be responsible with our resources in this country, Mr. Meyer said. And it also helps the building operate cost efficiently.

Contact Kirk Baird atkbaird@theblade.comor 419-724-6734.

First Published June 14, 2009, 11:19 a.m.