INDIANAPOLIS — Aside from a $1 billion revamp of Madison Square Garden eight years ago, no NBA arena has undergone a transformation as massive as the home of the Indiana Pacers.

Gainbridge Fieldhouse's three-phase, $360 million mega project to modernize and reconstruct the arena is finishing Phase 2 — and the results are fan friendly, eye catching and convenient.

There are self-serve beer stations, convenience store style, and a Yuengling Flight Deck overlooking the arena. There are sleek new bars sprinkled throughout concourses and a much larger team gift shop.

There is an overhauled box office that has a hotel-like check in feel (no glass windows) and posh, padded seats that replace the green baseball-stadium-style chairs.

The arena that opened as Conseco Fieldhouse in 1999 is now contemporary, with a goal to retain what was loved most about the building.

"The thing that kept me up at night was just ensuring we didn't turn this iconic building that people love into something they didn't love more," said Mel Raines, a Pacers executive vice president who heads facility operations. "I think we've done that. We've modernized it, but kept the feel."

Phase 2 happened amid chaos — a worldwide pandemic, supply chain shortages and labor shortages, she said.

"The miracle of Phase 2, I call it. The miracle of 2021," said Raines. "It's been quite a year."

By the end of this month, Phase 2 will be complete. All that's left is Phase 3, which will replace upper level seating, add a double platform sky deck overlooking the city, as well as a new plaza and entry on the north side of the fieldhouse. Those, among other upgrades, are expected to be finished by the end of 2022.

Raines, along with Danny Lopez, Pacers vice president for external affairs and corporate communications, gave IndyStar a tour of the new arena Friday as the team played Miami. The changes are numerous; here are the highlights.

Pennsylvania street entrance

As fans enter the fieldhouse to the main concourse off of Pennsylvania Street, they walk up the steps to a signature bar. "We wanted the feeling of when you come in the entry pavilion that you're already at the event," said Raines. The area behind the bar is open to the arena.

"Fans can see the scoreboard as they grab a drink right away," she said. There is also a bar rail where fans can sit and watch.

"When the game gets going you'll have standing room only," Lopez said. "People will get drinks and stand at the bar and watch. The energy is awesome."

Cushy seats

The baseball stadium seats inside the fieldhouse were the original ones from 1999.

"We went away from the retro baseball and these have padded backs and padded seats," Raines said. All the seats have been switched except the upper level, which will be part of Phase 3.

Box office touch up

"The box office will now be like checking in at a hotel," Raines said. No glass, just face-to-face interaction with the attendant. The new box office will open this month.

Self-serve beer and more

Many of the portable bars that were stationed throughout the fieldhouse have been replaced with permanent bars, areas where fans can grab a beer or cocktail.

Fast Break stores are also open, featuring refrigerators filled with beer and drinks that fans can grab andcomplete the payment themselves.

"If you just want a drink, it's really quick," Raines said.

There are also snacks, such as candy bars at the self-serve store.

Two self-service stations are open now. Two will be added in the upper level seating as part of Phase 3. On club level, a similar concept is open but with a cashier.

Concession areas, tablet ordering

Main concession areas have been reconfigured and modernized. Two are finished with two on the balcony level set to be complete in Phase 3.

Fans order at one area and then come to another area to pick up their food. They can order either with a cashier or on a self-service tablet. A number is printed and a screen shows where you are in line.

"We can devote more people to filling your order," Raines said. "It moves really fast."

Yuengling Flight Deck

The Steak 'n Shake stand and Legends lounge have been removed and that space overhauled into the Yuengling Flight Deck. The deck opens up to the arena, features a bar and two concession stands.

Large windows face toward the south end of the city, letting fans see the sun and a train moving across the tracks. The area is also lit up with twinkling lights. It will open this month.

"We were trying to create a neighborhood that makes you want to walk around here and just hang out," said Raines.

Team store

More than 80% of sales at the fieldhouse's team store come on game nights.

"We needed more space for people," Raines said. The bar that used to be upstairs in the shop has been removed and a larger entryway greets customers. Stairs that were positioned right in the middle of the lower level have been moved, so it's more open. Raines says at least 1,000 square feet have been added to the store.

Is this the Krieg DeVault level?

Of all the areas in the fieldhouse, the Krieg DeVault level may be the most changed.

"If you had been here a lot?" Raines said. "If you close your eyes, you wouldn't think you were in this building."

Bars have been added as well as lounge areas with sofas and tables. There are also new ticketed seats for sale, bar rail seats overlooking the arena.

Suites have also been reconfigured, seven on each side from basket to basket. Six of those are permanent suites but eight others have pocket doors to make them more flexible. They can be sold as one big suite or broken up into smaller areas.

Terrace Tables: 'Best view in the house'

Just finished on the Krieg DeVault level and launching for sale this month — individually or for groups — are terrace tables.

"If you were a company that wanted to do your Christmas party for 200 people you could have done your party and then done seats but we didn't have a place for you to have the party with seats," Raines said.

Now, with Terrace Tables, they do. The seats feature tables that overlook the arena. "I think it's the best view in the house," Raines said.

All the extras

— Restrooms have been completely remodeled (except for those on the upper level which are part of Phase 3).

— New lighting that can change colors was added in concourses.

— A sensory room and large space for nursing mothers has opened.

— The Lexus Loft club is doubling in size.

— The bridge to the parking garage is doubling in size to get people across and into events faster. It will open early February.

— The fieldhouse went cashless for COVID and will remain that way. For those who have only cash, kiosks have been added that convert cash into a credit card. It can be used not only at the fieldhouse but any place that accepts Visa.

— Then there is the "unsexy" stuff, Raines said. "The things that nobody wants to do in their house," she said. New chillers, new elevators, wiring, windows and more.

What's to come in final Phase 3

—- The north end of the fieldhouse, which used to be a parking lot, will be turned into a large plaza that allows fans to enter from that side as well. The goal is to have the plaza done by winter 2022, but finishing touches could go into 2023, Raines said.

— A standing, double deck with a giant window that faces Lucas Oil Stadium and the JW Marriott is coming. It will be the last interior project to be finished late 2022.

— Everything in the upper level — seating, restrooms, concession stands, a new walk-in store with merchandise, among many other upgrades — will be part of Phase 3.

Phase 2 by the numbers

1.3 million: Ceramic tiles

100,000: Pounds of steel and precast concrete

4,000: Sheets of drywall

3,000: Tons of waste materials, 80% of project total, diverted from landfills

950: Lights installed

957: Gallons of paint

600: Buckets of drywall mud

300+: TV’s

300+: Security cameras

250+: Miles of data and power cabling (enough to wrap five times around I-465)

130: Touchless sinks and appliances

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on Twitter: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: dbenbow@indystar.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Inside Pacers new digs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse: 'The miracle of 2021'