[5] The arena cost $227 million[6] and was designed as collaboration between TVA Architects of Portland and Ellerbe Becket of Kansas City, Missouri.

[7] The Ducks inaugurated the arena to a sold-out crowd on January 13, 2011, beating the USC Trojans, 68–62.

Called "Deep in the Woods", the design features repeating silhouettes of Pacific Northwest tree lines, giving the impression of being lost in the forest, gazing toward the sky.

[13] There was also concern from residents of the Fairmount neighborhood, where the arena is located, about insufficient parking and trash disposal during events.

[4][15] Students expressed concern about the proximity of the planned arena to on-campus student housing, listing site-specific concerns such as physical security, noise, and "the out-of-place scale" of building in an academically focused residential area.