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Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center
California Baptist University celebrated a new 5,050 seat Events Center with a Ribbon-cutting and Dedication Ceremony on May 4, 2017. It was officially renamed the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center in February 2023 after the Fowlers declared a massive gift to California Baptist University of $28.5 million.
Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, said the new multi-use arena is the realization of dreams and prayers of generations of Lancers.
"We were in pursuit of this for most of my 23 years here [at CBU]. And I know that people dreamed about such a facility long before I arrived in 1994," Ellis said. "So this is an accumulation of generational dreams for many, many people affiliated with California Baptist College and California Baptist University."
Plans for the Events Center were unveiled on Aug. 28, 2015. Completion of the more than $73 million project occurred during the summer of 2017.
Officials of Sundt Construction, the project contractor, estimated more than 266,000 man-hours and more than 2,000 individual workers went into building the Events Center. The 153,000-square-feet building is adjacent to the CBU Recreation Center located in Lancer Plaza near the corner of Adams Street and Diana Avenue. The center's north-facing front entrance will be located on Lancer Lane.
Besides athletics, the arena also will provide space for CBU's chapel program attended by nearly 5,000 students weekly during the academic year. Other uses planned for the Events Center include student orientation activities and commencement ceremonies that are held each spring and fall.
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