Bill Crangle, Vice President of Financial Affairs, went before Student Senate last Sunday with the Administration’s proposed plan for the new All Well Sporting Facility.
Since they started planning a year ago, they have seen approximately 15 different designs by various architects. The most recent has captured their interest above all because of the design, as well as the fact that it is the least expensive, most efficient model. The construction process would consist of tearing down the old facility, followed by seven other phases of building. The first phase is estimated to be completed by 2011.
The new facility would have four separate sections: an ice rink for the hockey team, an academic center with a larger swimming pool, an athletic center and a field house that would be raised on stilts to accommodate parking underneath. The ice rink would be completed during phase one. Also potentially in the plan is the idea to purchase the houses on North and South River Street and turn the area into a park for the students along the Pemi River. There would also be an Admissions welcoming center set up in front of the hockey rink where families coming for tours can wait before a shuttle takes them to campus. Also, all of the health and human performance classes will be moving from D&M into the academic facility in the All Well Center, freeing up space in D&M for future classroom and office spaces.
There would be environmental perks to the sporting facility as well. The proposed plan looks at solar panels for power, as well geothermal heating.
Though Crangle presented this seven-phase plan for the new All Well Facility, it is still in the preliminary phase and there are a lot of details that need to be worked out before the plan is final. The final plan will then need to be approved Board of Trustees for the University System. There is still no final cost determined for the project.
“I want to thank all the faculty, staff, and community individuals who have given their time and effort to work on this design project,” said Crangle. “It has been a real success.”