University of Tennessee – Pat Summitt Plaza

The anchor of the Lake Loudoun Boulevard Streetscape project at the University of Tennessee is the Pat Summitt Plaza,  which features a nearly nine-foot-tall bronze statue honoring the legendary basketball coach.

Merit Construction completed the project ahead of schedule in a fast tracked 70 calendar day timeframe. The construction crews worked days, nights, and weekends to complete the project within the time constraints.

Fast Facts:

• Construction was completed entirely with East Tennessee subcontractors. Craftsmen spent nearly 9,000 man hours on this landmark.
• Over 1,500 plants have been installed within the Plaza and the adjacent landscaping.
• Coach Summitt’s signature weighs approximately 1,000 pounds.
• 3,900 pavers were installed within the Plaza which is designed to mimic a basketball floor. Laid end-to-end, the pavers would stretch 1.25 miles.
• Over 550,000 pounds of concrete is within the feature wall and more than one million pounds of stone is behind it.
• 43,000 pounds of reinforcing steel is embedded within the feature wall.
• Coach Summitt’s statue traveled over 900 miles from Texas to the Plaza.