STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (EYT) – The Penn State athletic department Monday announced five priority projects that will kick off its 20-year Facilities Master Plan.
The five projects include a Center of Excellence, a new indoor practice facility, a new natatorium, an indoor tennis facility and renovations and upgrades to Jeffrey Field, the home of the men’s and women’s soccer programs.
After those projects are completed, additional projects including the renovation of Beaver Stadium, a new All-Sports Museum, a new basketball practice facility, a cross country team house house, a golf clubhouse, a golf indoor practice facility, an Olympic sport training facility, an outdoor track and field facility and a parking structure west of Beaver Stadium. Renovations could also take place the Beard Field at Nittany Lion Softball Park, the Bryce Jordan Center, the Penn State Field Hockey Complex, the Lasch Football Building, the Multi-Sport Complex, the Penn State Lacrosse Field and the Sarni Tennis Center.
“This will have a huge impact not only on our student-athletes but across the community,” Penn State Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour said. “Our plan is a road map, and, like a roadmap, there will be detours and rerouting. Ultimately, we will build what we can afford.
“It will bring centralization of services. This is really a vision for our students.”
Noticeably absent from the plan are renovations to Rec Hall, although Deputy Athletic Director Phil Esten said the department plans to continue to compete in Rec Hall.
“We will move offices and locker rooms out of it,” Esten said.
Here is a look at the first five projects planned under the 20-year Facilities Master Plan.
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
This will be the hub for Penn State’s student-athletes, staff and coaches and will include performance enhancement, sports performance and sports science facilities as well as a nutrition center. It will also have locker rooms and coaches’ offices for field hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, soccer and tennis programs and will include a 500-space parking facility under the center. It will be located where the East Area Locker Room is currently located.
INDOOR PRACTICE FACILITY
This facility will be similar to Holuba Hall and will be attached to the Center of Excellence. It will provide practice space for baseball, softball, men’s and women’s golf, lacrosse and soccer. There will be indoor workout space for all 31 sports and could also host selected Penn State sports camps and other events. It will be 108,000 square feet.
NATATORIUM
The new natatorium will include a 10-lane, 50-meter competition pool, a separate recreational lap pool and a diving well that will allow competition from 1, 3, 5, 7 ½ and 10-meter boards and platforms. The facility will seat 2,500 and also have facilities for the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams as well as campus community locker rooms. It will be located on the current location of the McCoy Natatorium or will be constructed just north of the Penn State outdoor track.
INDOOR TENNIS FACILITY
This facility will be for the men’s and women’s tennis teams and campus recreation space and will seat approximately 500 spectators. A pro shop will be included in the facility, which will be 100,000-square foot complex located just west of the Field Hockey Complex.
JEFFREY FIELD
The home of the soccer programs will undergo a renovation that will include game-day home and visiting locker room facilities, chairback seats with some covered seating, concession and restrooms, a video board, new lighting and new media facilities including an upgraded press box. The seating capacity will be reduced from approximately from 5,000 to approximately 4,000.
Funding for the entire Facilities Master Plan will come from a variety of different sources including donations, the athletic department capital fund, debt and public and private partnerships. Funding may also come from student fees for the natatorium and the indoor tennis facility.
“We are undergoing a philanthropy feasibility study,” Barbour said. “There is no doubt in my mind we will build what we can afford.”
More information on the proposed Beaver Stadium renovations and the entire master plan can be found at http://gopsu.info/FacilitiesPlan.
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