CLEVELAND — It has hosted thousands of basketball games, concerts for David Bowie, Janet Jackson and Justin Bieber, and even helped administer more than 260,000 COVID-19 vaccines.
But Cleveland State's Wolstein Center could become a thing of the past as the university explores its future.
On Friday morning, Cleveland State University asked developers to submit ideas for repurposing the Wolstein Center or building something new on the 10 acres it sits on at Carnegie Avenue and East 18th Street.
"The future of the existing Wolstein Center is uncertain; it can be demolished or repurposed as part of a redevelopment project," the university wrote in a "Request for Statement of Interest and Qualifications," or RFQ.
The document describes how the 35-year-old facility has "outdated equipment and deferred maintenance."
News 5 spoke with CSU President Dr. Laura Bloomberg earlier this week, who reiterated that she's seeking creative ideas for the space, whether that involves demolishing the building or adapting it for another use.
The Wolstein Center can hold more than 13,000 fans for a basketball game. Bloomberg pointed out that capacity is higher than at venues used by many major basketball programs across the country. For perspective, Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium only has a capacity for 9,300 fans.
The request does require that submissions include a plan for where the athletic programs that already use the Wolstein Center will go. Those programs include the men's and women's basketball teams.
Last year, News 5 reported how the Cleveland Charge, the minor-league NBA team that feeds the Cleveland Cavaliers, moved from playing games at the Wolstein Center to Public Auditorium, which is owned by the city of Cleveland. The move ended a three-season run for the Charge at Wolstein.
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In 2021, the 315,000 square foot Wolstein Center served as an epicenter for COVID-19 vaccinations.
Over the course of 12 weeks, more than 260,000 Covid-19 vaccines were administered and nearly 127,000 people received both vaccines there.
This is not the first time CSU has mentioned the possibility of demolishing the Wolstein Center.
In 2016, CSU issued an RFQ that called for the demolition of the arena to make way for additional student housing.
A 2022 master plan for CSU also suggested that the site could be used for a mixed-use development, in what planners described as a "partnership district."
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The new RFQ says the site is "well-suited for mixed-use development, including academic, research, healthcare, residential, commercial, and recreational spaces."
It also points out that the adjacent parking, the CSU South Parking Garage, is not part of the proposed redevelopment.
Proposals are due from developers by May 2 at 2 p.m. To learn more, click here.
