Proposed athletic facility provides space, options for students
Preliminary diagrams of the 68,000 square foot, air-supported dome designates an area with ample space and equipment for a wide variety of sports, including volleyball, soccer, basketball and track. Construction of the dome is expected to be finished by fall 2010.
The multi-million dollar project, still in the permit process, is part of UIndy’s five-year strategic plan that has seen renovations to the dining hall, Schwitzer Student Center, a new residence hall and work on Hanna Avenue.
The 68,000 square foot air-supported dome will feature a turf covered sports area with moveable equipment and barriers for a wide range of sports such as volleyball, soccer and basketball practices and all intramurals. It will also contain a six-lane, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulation-size indoor track that is open to the entire student body for walking and running and will be used by UIndy to host indoor track meets, a first for the school. Batting cages, a golf practice area and a weight room inside the dome will also be included.
Furthermore, a 20,000 square foot building will be constructed to the north of Ruth Lilly Fitness Center. This building will house new offices for all outdoor sports, such as softball, football and track; brand new locker rooms for home and visiting teams, large meeting rooms, and a new athletic training room.
Finally, the last piece of the project will be a new NCAA regulation-size softball field on the furthest northeast corner of campus. The softball team currently plays at an off-campus site to accommodate for the building of the new residence hall.
Construction is set to start as soon as the weather permits. If everything stays on schedule, the dome will be in place by fall 2010 and the football locker rooms will be ready in time for their 2010-2011 season. Both buildings are set to be completed and in full use by spring 2011.
After many years of planning, UIndy President Dr. Beverly Pitts is enthusiastic about the project’s progress.
“I’m very excited we found a good way to address these needs,” President Dr. Beverly Pitts said. “Our goal was to create the best and most flexible plan possible.”
Athletic Director Sue Willey noted the need for space. “[The facility] is going to allow teams to not be on top of each other. We are in dire need of space,” Willey said. With the new athletic facility, traffic will be eliminated from the track, and the old offices and athletic training room will be used for the kinesiology department’s growing academic needs.
Original plans for a smaller, hard-sided building were re-evaluated when funding came up shorter than expected. Dr. Pitts said different options were looked at before they decided that an air-supported dome would be perfect for their needs because it is cheaper and creates more space than a regular building would.
Ken Piepenbrink, Director of the Physical Plant and Head Coach of the women’s golf team, designed the plan for the new structures. The new dome, according to Piepenbrink, will save money because it actually seals up tighter than a regular building would because of a lack of windows.
“This is a fabulous space with a lot of opportunities,” Piepenbrink said. “In addition to practice for sports teams, the area can also be used for intramurals, small conventions and possibly concerts to create a lot of flexibility for a true multi-purpose space.”
Piepenbrink also notes that the golf practice area will be beneficial. The men’s and women’s golf teams currently have a practice area in Ruth Lilly large enough for three people to practice at a time when there are 24 golfers between both teams.
“I think that the training facilities available for the baseball team now are sub-par,” said sophomore and baseball player Scott Lawley. “The new athletic facility will definitely be a benefit for our team.”
Craig Ray, a junior football player, agrees with the space issue. “Space is hard to come by in Ruth Lilly,” Ray said. “The football team is always looking for a place to warm-up and stretch and a lot of time has to do it in the hallways because both gyms and the entire upstairs are occupied by other sports.”
