Thursday, March 26, 2009
Kansas Athletics has another big project in the works after completing the $33 million Anderson Family Football Complex in July 2008.
An initial report issued Wednesday by the University of Kansas featured a proposal for the Kansas Olympic Village, a $24.6 million project.
Contributed Photo
This artistic rendering shows what the proposed Olympic Village would look like.
The Olympic Village would focus on combining the fields and facilities for soccer, softball, and track into one location and would also increase the spectator capacity for those sports.
According to the master plan, all of the facilities would meet the requirements for NCAA championship competition. The proposed facilities would include a new soccer competition field with a press box, a new soccer practice field, and a new track and field facility with a press box. The plan would also add grandstand seating and a press box to Arrocha Ballpark, as well as a centralized plaza area with a ticket booth, restrooms, and concession building with merchandise sales.
Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director, said the Athletics Department had been discussing the Olympic Village for at least a year now and was actively fundraising for the new facilities. Marchiony also said the Olympic Village was another step in improving facilities, which is a part of Athletic’s five-year strategic plan for 2006-2011.
“I would say that the football facility and the basketball practice facility is a very important part, the new academic center, and other renovations for Allen Fieldhouse,” Marchiony said. “This Olympic Village is another step toward what we want to provide our coaches and student athletes.”
Ryan West, Ellsworth freshman, regularly attends baseball games, but said this was the first time he had heard of the Olympic Village. West said he thought it would be a nice addition for some of the non-revenue sports.
“I think it’s needed and a good idea if you’re trying to give more money for the non-revenue sports and get the facilities in a compact area,” West said.
Marchiony said that Athletics wanted to put the Olympic Village master plan into action as soon as possible and that the time frame for the start of the project was wide open.
West said he thought the Olympic Village process could take more time than projects such as the construction of the new football facility.
“These sports don’t bring in as much money for the Athletics Department,” West said. “I think the football stadium was on a tighter timeline and the Olympic Village involves more sports and facilities to improve.”
Marchiony said Kansas Athletics Director Lew Perkins was leading the push for the Olympic Village.
“As director of athletics, he takes the lead on setting our priorities,” Marchiony said. “And after talking to a lot of people involved in Athletics, this became one of our next projects.”
— — Edited by Melissa Johnson
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Comments
Athletics department proposes new facility
Let's just hope they find donors for this that can actually pay out.
Athletics department proposes new facility
Oh, I'm sure they'll try to use that "temporary" boathouse fee and have it be re-directed over to this.
Athletics department proposes new facility
Yeah... about that design... so what happens when softball has games and practices while... people are... ya know... playing a soccer game... or running on the track.
Are all the other athletes going to wear helmets when foul balls start flying into the 18 yard box during a corner kicker... or there's a group of people ya know... waiting for the batons in relay races?
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