Springfield College Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Field House and New Wellness Center
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., May 11, 2007 – Springfield College held a groundbreaking ceremony for construction of two new buildings on campus, a field house and a wellness center, on Friday, May 11, at 11:30 a.m., on Naismith Circle, on the campus.According to Springfield College President Richard B. Flynn, “Springfield College has a national and international reputation in the area of wellness, including health, physical education, recreation and sport. These two facilities will allow us to enhance that reputation and will position the college to offer state-of-the-art academic and co-curricular programs related to wellness. In addition to supporting the campus recreation program for the entire student body, all 26 of our men’s and women’s varsity teams will benefit from the increased indoor practice space. The campus community is excited about the addition of these two new buildings and is looking forward to their completion in the fall of 2008.”
The two new facilities are scheduled for completion August 2008 at an estimated total cost of $15 million. They will be located in the center of campus between the college’s Physical Education Complex and Art Linkletter Natatorium, and within easy access of the college’s various playing fields.
The new 90,000 square-foot field house will include a main level with a 200 meter, six-lane competition and jogging track surrounding four multipurpose courts. The courts will have synthetic cushioned flooring designed for many sports. The lower level will house a fully-equipped strength and conditioning facility for athletics teams and physical education classes. There also will be a concession area, locker rooms and equipment storage space.
The new wellness center will feature 28,000 square feet of facilities supporting programs for the college’s students, faculty and staff to achieve holistic wellness. The college’s emphasis on wellness supports its historic mission of educating students in spirit, mind, and body.
The building will include two large exercise rooms with state-of-the-art equipment, a polymer cement climbing wall, fitness testing laboratories, and multipurpose rooms for fitness and wellness activities. The building’s wellness resource center will be the site of a range of programs and services fostering physical, social, intellectual, spiritual and emotional wellness.
Designed to be a wellness and activity hub of the campus, the wellness center will offer group exercise classes, wellness seminars, healthy living lectures, personal training and counseling, fitness and wellness testing, and open recreation. The new field house and wellness center are Springfield College’s latest campus improvements through its campaign, “Leadership for the 21st Century.” The campaign entered its public phase in the spring of 2005 with a $40 million goal, and has raised $30.2 to date.
Earlier this year, the college completed a renovation and expansion of Schoo Hall into an integrated teaching and learning science center. The college also plans to construct a new campus union. In addition to supporting new facilities, the campaign will strengthen the college’s endowment and support current and future initiatives.
The architect for the new field house and new wellness center is DiLullo Associates of Melrose, Mass., and the project manager is Aramark Education. The construction manager is Daniel O’Connell‘s Sons of Holyoke, Mass.
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