Thirty-two months and $67 million later, JQH Arena -- the new home to Missouri State University's basketball teams -- has risen up to the swelling pride of local Bears.

A bright jewel studded on the campus, the stadium became possible when one of the school's most famous alumni, John Q. Hammons, announced in early 2006 a donation of $25 million, the biggest gift his alma mater had ever received, toward the project.

He later agreed to donate $5 million more when project costs went up to $67 million instead of the originally estimated figure of $60 million.

"You deserve it," said Hammons, a successful hotelier who was once a junior high school basketball coach in Cassville.

The name of the 89-year-old graces the new arena, which is replacing Hammons Student Center, another campus building benefiting from Hammons' generosity.

With his gift, the university quickly assembled designers, architects and engineers. Construction began in late December 2006.

To pay for the project, the university raised $7 million and issued $59.4 million in revenue bonds, said Nila Hayes, MSU's chief financial officer.

Fulfilling his pledge, Hammons -- through a trust -- is footing nearly 47.54 percent of the annual debt service payments on the bonds, or $29 million in principal that would be amortized in 25 years, Hayes said.

The hotelier had contributed $1 million in cash, Hayes said.

Income from the arena's operations will pay off the rest of the bonds, Hayes said.

Ellerbe Becket, a Kansas City architectural firm, teamed up with local firm Pellham Phillips to design the facility, and JE Dunn Construction Co. of Kansas City -- which has a Springfield office -- managed the construction of the arena through ice storms and unusually rainy seasons.

"We expected some adverse weather, but what happened went above and beyond what we expected," said Tom Heger, a JE Dunn senior project manager who supervised the construction.

Muddy grounds made digging difficult, and some work had to wait until the site was dry enough, Heger said.

"There were a lot of Saturdays worked and longer hours to make up the missed days," He said.

JE Dunn hired 41 prime contractors and involved 700 to 800 workers -- most of whom were from the greater Springfield area -- for the project, Heger said.

Inclement weather was not the only challenge, Heger said.

Workers had to maneuver on a site surrounded by public streets on three sides, and the space limitation made it harder to install the trusses for the roof, Heger said.

He said he worried whether all the mechanical units, such as those used for heating and cooling, would arrive in time.

"They were good this time, but it's always a concern," Heger said.

His favorite part of the arena?

"When you get in through the front doors, you can look right into the court, and you know you're there," Heger said.

James Poulson, an Ellerbe Becket architect who was the design director for JQH Arena, said architects made that design feature to boost the anticipation and excitement of those who come to the arena for games or other events.

"When you come in through the entrance, the lights come out, the music is playing, the pep rally is going on, and you can see the scoreboard, the court and hear the noise," he said.

Poulson said the design team wanted a building that serves its purpose and stands the test of time.

During the day, the arena blends with its surroundings, he said.

"It's very institutional; it doesn't scream. It's subdued," Poulson said.

But at night, the arena gets loud as it lights up and becomes a beacon on campus, Poulson said.

"You see it blocks away," he said.

To do that, Poulson and his colleagues have given the arena gray concrete exterior walls but topped them with glassy polycarbonate panels.

The walls are textured with an abstract dash and dot pattern, which creates the look of layered limestone, a nod to the karst topography in the Ozarks, Poulson said.

Heger, the construction manager, said custom liners were built to create that pattern.

The translucent panels, which let sunlight in during the day, glow at night as the inside of the building lights up, and a giant back-lit bear image is visible from the outside, Poulson said.

Inside, Poulson said architects tried to create an "intimate and intimidating" atmosphere.

So they have designed a steep bleacher seating area for MSU students and placed those seats right next to the visitors' bench.

"You will really have your home-court advantage," Poulson said.

He said the design team met with MSU students, who told the architects they would prefer to stand and didn't want seats with backs.

There are 1,375 seats for students, who also have their own concourse, Poulson said.

With steep seating, students are allowed an unhindered view of the court, making them feel closer to the action on the floor, Poulson said.