In a partnership with Bexar County, Texas, St. Mary's University has begun construction on the $15 million Outdoor Sports Complex.
West Haymarket Arena at the University of Nebraska (Rendering DLR Group, BVH Architects and The Clark Enersen Partners)In a partnership with Bexar County, Texas, St. Mary's University has begun construction on the $15 million Outdoor Sports Complex. The project, designed by Kell Muñoz Architects Inc. of San Antonio, will include an upgrade to the current baseball stadium, construction of a new softball stadium and indoor facilities to accommodate both, as well as additional tennis courts, soccer fields and softball fields. Construction of the infrastructure began this fall, with work on the athletic fields set to kick off in spring.
Construction began in September on the West Haymarket Arena. The $180 million facility will provide a new home for University of Nebraska men's and women's basketball teams and host hockey games, rodeos, concerts and other community events. Designed by DLR Group of Omaha in association with Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects and The Clark Enersen Partners, the 16,000-seat arena should be completed in time for the Huskers' 2013-14 basketball season.
The University of Arkansas broke ground this month on a $35 million project that will provide the university with a new football operations facility. The 80,000-square-foot facility, designed by the architectural team of Kansas City, Mo.-based Populous, Polk Stanley Wilcox of Little Rock and Modus Studio of Fayetteville, will feature a new locker room, team meeting rooms, an athletic training room, an equipment room and more.
Construction is now under way on the $20 million Harold Alfond Athletic Complex at the University of New England's Biddeford, Maine, campus. The 105,000-square-foot facility will include an ice hockey rink with seating for 900, a basketball court, a fitness center and indoor practice courts that can also be used for performances and other events. With seating for 3,000, the complex will be the largest gathering place on either of the university's two campuses.
An anonymous $800,000 donation will give Pennsylvania's Fox Chapel High School a new baseball field. Work began in September to replace the existing field with synthetic turf, which will reduce the number of rainouts, while standing up to marching band practices and physical education classes.
First Pitch
The Greater Dover (Del.) Committee received an endorsement from the Dover City Council to move forward with plans for a proposed $17.7 million sports facility. The Kent County Sports Complex will feature 10 grass fields, four synthetic turf fields and a 36,000-square-foot building housing an indoor turf field and a track. The committee hopes the complex will be a draw for field hockey and lacrosse tournaments. . .
King George (Va.) High School has elected to go with a synthetic turf field as it moves forward with plans for a football stadium. The decision bumps the cost of the project up to $3.6 million, $3 million of which will be paid for using excess funds from the construction of the high school in 2008. . .
Donations of $1 million each from six boosters puts Florida State University nearly halfway toward the cost of a new indoor football practice facility, with public fundraising under way for the remainder of the $15 million project. . .
Dr. Kenneth and Ellen Chessick have donated $3 million toward the construction of a new football practice facility that will bear their name at Northern Illinois University. Another $7.5 million still needs to be raised for the facility, which will include a synthetic turf field, a four-lane track and batting cages.
Grand Openings
Coon Rapids, Minn., is getting an extra blast of cool air after a new ice arena reached completion last month. The new home of the local high school's hockey team, the facility includes both an indoor rink and a refrigerated outdoor rink that will be open up to five months of the year. The $10.5 million project will be followed by the construction of a new community center, the beginning of what the city hopes will become a much larger development. . .
Grand Canyon University Arena (Photo courtesy of Grand Canyon University)The Grand Canyon University basketball teams tip off their seasons in a new home this month. Administrators hope the 135,000-square-foot Grand Canyon University Arena, completed in September, will serve as a stepping-stone on the school's path from the NCAA's Division II to Division I. With seating for 5,000, the arena will also serve as a venue for conferences, concerts and other events. Highlighted by a glass exterior that allows for natural lighting and viewing of arena events by passersby, the university hopes the design will stand as a recognizable icon for the school. . .
Stevenson University Stadium (Photo © 2011 Curry Architects)In September, the Stevenson University football team kicked off its inaugural season in a new stadium. Designed by Curry Architects of Towson, Md., the stadium seats 3,500 and includes a club-level patio, box seats and a 6,000-square-foot lower level with a fitness center, staff offices and locker rooms. The men's and women's soccer and lacrosse teams and women's field hockey team will also compete in the new stadium. . .
Skaters in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, will finally be able to get back on the ice, thanks to a donation from Frontier Communications. The Kootenai Youth Recreation Organization's ice arena, closed since its roof collapsed in 2008, will reopen this month as the Frontier Ice Arena. The $2.8 million project replaced the previous rink with an NHL-size rink, with room for a second ice sheet in future years. The new rink will also include a heated seating area, a concessions stand and five locker rooms.
