Drury will break ground on its O’Reilly Family Event Center this Friday. Construction will begin soon thereafter, with a goal of opening the facility in fall 2010.

The $13.5 million facility will host major Drury University and special community events and will be the home of the Panthers and Lady Panthers basketball and volleyball teams. The building also includes a new student fitness center.

Drury President Todd Parnell said when the funding was approved in April, “This is a bold statement that Drury is not afraid to invest in its future even in these uncertain economic times and is a tribute to the confidence of our donor base.”

The event center will seat 3,100 spectators with the ability to expand to about 3,600 seats for concerts and special events.

Drury and its donors will pay for the entire arena, anchored by a $6 million pledge from the O’Reilly family of Springfield, Missouri.