South Bend’s Bendix Theatre is being converted to esports arena – South Bend Tribune

SOUTH BEND An estimated $2 million project to convert the Bendix Theatre into an esports arena is well underway with demolition complete and crews already installing new carpeting in the facility.

Work got underway Jan. 2 and the project is expected to be completed by mid-July, said Jeff Jarnecke, who oversees the Century Center as executive director of the citys venues. After the new carpeting is completed in the next few weeks, workers will then be able to begin installing new oversized theater seats with cup holders.

The front row seats in the arena will include a tablet holder and all of the 600 seats will eventually include a USB or power outlet, said Jarnecke, adding that an engineering firm is visiting the Bendix this week to perform a technical layout the sound system and massive video boards.

Bethel University already has committed to using the new arena as home for the esports team it recently formed. Alec Betz, a graphic designer and Bethel graduate, will serve as coach of the new team.

Bethel will compete in the League of Legends, Overwatch and possibly a third game at both the varsity and club levels with perhaps 30 to 50 students participating at those levels, said Christopher Hess, Bethels associate athletic director.

Bethel will have a dedicated practice facility in the LAN Cafe that will be developed as part of the Bendix project, and Hess thinks the university could have students using the facility even on the intramural level perhaps five days a week.

Esports is a rapidly growing sport with more than 170 colleges and universities with varsity programs and an estimated 433 million fans across the globe. Though Bethel is one of the first universities to field a team in the Crossroads Conference, Hess believes it wont be long before others join in.

Hess said Bethel will only participate in games that arent overly violent or sexual and have a Teen rating.

Were looking at what other Christian universities are doing, he said. Were trying to focus on games that are more strategic.

Universities are embracing esports because of the enormous popularity of the activity, which seems to be especially appealing to students involved in STEM fields, said Hess. It will help us recruit and retain STEM students and improve the overall student experience at Bethel.

Jarnecke said other colleges and universities in the region have also expressed interest in using the esports arena and bids have already been made to host Midwest esports competitions in August and September.

The project is being paid for by collections from the St. Joseph County hotel-motel tax, and the hope is that the arena will serve to attract considerably more visitors to the once underutilized Bendix Theatre, said Jarnecke.

And ultimately, officials hope the arena will generate more hotel stays, said Jarnecke, adding that it will also boost the image of the city as a place thats tech friendly and open to cutting-edge ideas.

See the original post:
South Bend's Bendix Theatre is being converted to esports arena - South Bend Tribune