New College of Florida’s longstanding plans to construct an athletic facility are sliding into home with a boost from a local developer.
The college’s future baseball field, which President Richard Corcoran’s new administration has long hinted it would pursue, is a step closer to construction with a million-dollar donation from local developer Carlos Beruff.
The college is naming the field the “Beruff Family Field of Dreams” in light of the donation, it announced Friday.
Beruff is a Bradenton-based former U.S. Senate candidate, founder of local home builder Medallion Home and member of the Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority board that oversees the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. He has no outstanding ties to New College, though he noted that he’s donated to the college before. [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
New England College (NEC) in Henniker, N.H., is moving ahead with the second phase of its athletic facilities expansion. Starting this spring, the private liberal arts college will overhaul and renovate Bridges Gymnasium, build new offices for the athletic department and further expand the strength lab.
Phase one of the project, completed last summer, featured a resurfaced Turf Field and equipment upgrades for the Strength Lab. These upgrades set the stage for the ambitious developments now under way.
According to a Dec. 29 Concord Monitor report, the college's upcoming project is an even larger undertaking that aims to elevate the quality of campus life and athletics for NEC's students, 46 percent of whom are varsity Division III athletes and an additional 4 percent who participate in club sports.
"This is more than a construction project — it's a bold step forward," said Wayne F. Lesperance Jr., the president of NEC. "The Athletics Center exemplifies NEC's innovative spirit and commitment to student success, whether on the field, in the classroom or beyond. This facility will energize our campus and elevate the experience of every NEC student.[Construction Equipment Guide]
A public hearing scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 9, will focus on plans to convert some of Pacifica Christian High’s off-campus office space and storage into an athletics facility.
The new facility would replace one set aside for warehousing and administrative offices on the 800 block of Production Place, just around the corner from the main campus. However, the school’s existing conditional use permit for that lot prohibits students from being on that property. So, Pacifica Christian officials have asked the Newport Beach Planning Commission to amend the agreement so their athletes can have access to the proposed training site.
The remodel of the existing building at Production Place would result in a 4,300-square-foot training facility in addition to 2,500 square feet of office space. It would be equipped with batting cages, weight racks and exercise machines, according to a report by city staff. School officials expect about 15 to 20 students to use the space at a time, but it could accommodate as many as 40. [Daily Pilot]
To subscribe to the free daily e-newsletter offering the latest industry news, products and insights from — and written for — the athletics, fitness and recreation industries, see below on this page, or click here
