Vanderbilt Athletics held a formal ceremony to start construction in mid-February on a new basketball training facility, the first major construction project of the Vandy United campaign.
The ceremony was held at the construction site near the north end zone of FirstBank Stadium.
The new facility will be a four-story, 90,000-square-foot building featuring identical upgraded facilities for both the men’s and women’s teams.
The upgrades will include new practice gyms, locker rooms, a shared new weight room and a dining space.
Separate practice courts for both the men’s and women’s teams will make it easier for them to schedule practices, as the teams currently share the same gym.
The first floor space will be used by the men’s team, and the third floor space will be used by the women’s team.
The basketball facility is expected to be completed by the summer of 2024 for use in the 2024-25 season. — Vanderbilt Hustler
The new hitting facility was recently dedicated at the Collins Family Softball Complex at the University of Tulsa campus.
The 2,070-square-foot batting cage complex has been built past the right field foul line.
This complex provides the latest artificial turf, softball netting and lighting to allow day and nighttime hitting.
The softball netting is versatile and can allow between two and four separate batting areas.
“With the addition of this state-of-the-art Collins Hitting Facility, our softball student-athletes have a complete range of support facilities to help each of them maximize their full potential on the field,” said Rick Dickson, Tulsa’s vice president and director of athletics.
“The completion of the batting facility is a game-changer for our student-athletes,” said Tulsa head softball coach Crissy Strimple. “It’s a place they can hit anytime day or night to stay sharp. Our players are excited to get in and start using the facility.” — KTUL-TV
The United Soccer League Championship’s Indy Eleven and the Keystone Group unveiled renderings in February of plans for the transformational Eleven Park neighborhood development in Indianapolis, Ind., anchored by a new multipurpose stadium.
Courtesy of Populous.com
With an expected capacity of around 20,000 seats, the stadium will serve as the new home for Indy Eleven, situated in the center of a development set to transform the southwest quadrant of downtown Indianapolis with apartments, office space, retail space, restaurants, parking garages, a hotel and public plazas with green space.
The stadium, with Populous leading design and Browning Day as architect of record, is anticipated to be completed in 2025 and is designed for fan experience and relation to its site.
It will make space for 2,400 supporters in a steep, safe-standing section on the north end of the stadium.
On the west, the building will offer a wide array of premium choices, from the field club seating on pitch level surrounding the team benches, up through the mid-line club with suites, party suites, and a terrace club above.
On the south, a taproom provides game day club atmosphere for 700 fans with a viewing terrace for nongame day watch parties and events.
On the east, seats will be concentrated on the sideline with the widest concourse and best concessions and restroom ratios in the league. The design wraps the exterior of the stadium in a dynamic, color-changing façade that reflects the forward-looking nature of the development.
“A world-class stadium is designed as a true destination, a reflection of its community and a catalyst for growth in the area. This is our mission with the new stadium for Indy Eleven,” said Phil Kolbo, a principal at global design firm Populous. “The stadium will anchor Eleven Park, providing a home for Indy Eleven that creates new and tailored experiences for Indianapolis fans in a venue designed with the innovation and aspirations of a great global soccer venue.”
“The vision of this transformational development into a live, work and play village is becoming reality. Eleven Park will not only change the skyline of Indianapolis, but will add over a thousand jobs, have a huge economic impact, create quality of life benefits and attract talent and opportunities to our city and state,” said Ersal Ozdemir, chairman and founder of Keystone Group & Indy Eleven. “We’ve been investing in downtown for over 20 years and believe it is important now more than ever. Our goal for Eleven Park is to continue the city’s tradition of using sports as a business driver for Indiana by increasing Indianapolis’ profile as a global city and showcasing the world’s most popular sport.” — Populous
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