Palestra's VIP lounge opens to rave reviews

Fans filtering into the Palestra's visiting bleachers Tuesday might not have been aware of it, but Athletic Department administrators were busy beneath them, unveiling the arena's newest set of renovations. Athletic Director Steve Bilsky proudly showed off the just-completed Class of 1971 Lounge -- located right below those seats. Bilsky, a member of that class, said he was happy with the results of two months' construction. "I'm very pleased," Bilsky said. "[Vice President for Facilities Management] Art Gravina's staff did a fantastic job, creating a really wonderful facility for hospitality and functions." The Class of 1971 designated one-fourth of last year's fund-raising drive -- which netted approximately $830,000 -- for the Palestra renovations. The total cost came to approximately $250,000, according to architect Frank Vitetta, whose firm designed the room. Bilsky said athletics alumni funds made up the difference between the Class of 1971's contribution and the room's final tab. Originally billed as a VIP room, the lounge has a sparkling hardwood floor and several trophy cases -- giving the room a basketball motif. It also contains an area that can be partitioned off for post-game press conferences, as it was after Tuesday's Penn-Villanova men's basketball game. Vitetta -- a varsity basketball player for Penn in the early 1950s -- said the room was finished only hours before the pre-game reception Tuesday. Currently, the room contains hardly any furniture. Vitetta noted that chairs and sofas will eventually be added in order to make the room more functional. "This is not only for basketball -- it is for the entire Athletic Department," he said. "We just wanted to get it finished for this year." And Audrey Schnur, director of major gifts for the Athletic Department, said the lounge's ambience and purpose will be fine-tuned in the near future. "We're taking our time this year to really straighten it out for next season," Schnur said. Officials said a more formal ceremony -- at the centennial basketball game against Yale on February 15 -- will celebrate the room's completion.