In May, shovels broke ground at the University of Minnesota for the 145,000-square-foot expansion of the University Recreation Center, built in 1993.
University Recreation Center at the University of Minnesota (Renderings courtesy of Cannon Design)In May, shovels broke ground at the University of Minnesota for the 145,000-square-foot expansion of the University Recreation Center, built in 1993. Designed by the St. Louis office of Cannon Design in association with Minneapolis-based Studio Five Architects, the $59 million multilevel expansion will effectively double the size of available program space. Additions will include a new entrance with a café and student lounge, a new fitness center, a group cycling room, locker rooms and an outdoor recreation center with a climbing/bouldering wall. The second level will include five multipurpose rooms and a direct connection to the existing recreation center's atrium. A two-court MAC will occupy the fourth floor, and office spaces will occupy a portion of the building that will appear to float above a prominent public plaza where important campus pedestrian paths converge. The project is expected to be complete in the summer of 2013.
Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center at Tufts University (Rendering courtesy of Stanmar Inc.)In April, construction got under way at the campus of Tufts University on the $16 million Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, which will provide a new gateway to the Medford, Mass., campus. Housing a state-of-the-art fitness center, a sports medicine facility, men's and women's varsity team rooms, athletic department offices and classrooms, the 42,000-square-foot center will also help unify the university's developing athletic facilities complex. Designed by Wayland, Mass.-based Stanmar Inc., in association with Newton, Mass.-based RGO Partnership and Boston-based DiMella Shaffer, the dramatic brick-, glass- and copper-clad building will showcase numerous energy-efficient systems and solutions, including high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, heat-recovery systems, high-performance glazing, solar-shading devices and automatic lighting controls.
First Pitch
The Moorestown, N.J., town council has gotten its first look at a proposal for a $19.3 million municipal complex that would include a recreation center, a library, a police station, a municipal courthouse and town administrative officesâ¦
The Provo, Utah, municipal council has approved a $39 million bond to fund the construction of a recreation center that will include a natatorium, a walking/jogging track, a fitness center, group exercise studios, basketball courts, childcare space and a senior centerâ¦
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has selected an architect to begin work on the Momentum Sports Complex, which will include softball and baseball parks, as well as a track and soccer complexâ¦
A $20 million gift from the Moody Foundation has spurred a $40 million renovation of Southern Methodist University's Moody Coliseum. The project will provide the venue with premium seating, courtside retractable seating, a new lobby and concourses, updated suites and numerous technology improvementsâ¦
After investing nearly $120 million in athletic facilities over the past 10 years, Clemson University is moving forward with an additional $50 million in upgrades. The plan includes a $10 million indoor football practice facility, a $15.3 million addition to the football stadium, a $5 million baseball stadium addition, a $5.1 million second basketball practice facility, $6.1 million in soccer complex renovations, $5.1 million worth of tennis facility improvements and the continuation of a $2.6 million golf facility project.
Grand Openings
TD Ameritrade Park Omaha (Photo © 2011 Tom Kessler/Courtesy of HDR Architecture Inc.)Part of an agreement that will keep the College World Series in Omaha through at least 2035, TD Ameritrade Park Omaha officially opened in April when its primary tenant, the Creighton Blue Jays, fell to Nebraska in front of a sellout crowd of approximately 22,000. Replacing historic Rosenblatt Stadium as host to the CWS, the $131 million stadium is located on a downtown site adjacent to the Qwest Center arena and convention center. Entrance plazas at each corner of the stadium allow for street-level ticketing and administrative offices, as well as team clubhouse facilities. The stadium also features an open, 360-degree concourse with a large Fanfest gathering area and retail areas that boast views to bullpens or the field.
Jeld-Wen Field (Photo by Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers)Home to MLS's Portland Timbers and the Portland State University football team, Jeld-Wen Field (formerly known as PGE Park, Civic Stadium or Multnomah Stadium) reopened in April after a $31 million renovation. The stadium, originally built in 1926, is expected to host approximately 250 events annually. Additions include 8,000 new permanent seats, a steel canopy that creates a floating impression and frames dramatic views, acoustical enhancements to maximize crowd noise and kiosks with custom graphic panels that depict the stadium's history. Featuring deep-water resistance pools, sports courts, a sports lab and an imaging facility, a new 12,000-square-foot sports rehabilitation clinic will serve athletes, as well as the general public.
