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November 12th, 2005, 07:01 AM
http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FPage%2FWSJ_StandardIndex&c=Page&cid=1041611506842
Appalachian planning new fieldhouse, baseball stadium
By Tommy Bowman
JOURNAL REPORTER
BOONE
Appalachian State's $32 million project for athletics-facilities enhancement will include a new four-story fieldhouse that will be built behind the east-side grandstands and be part of Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Also included in the opening phase of the project is an indoor practice facility for outdoor sports that will be located in the right-field area of ASU's existing baseball stadium. The existing baseball stadium will be converted into a softball stadium and a new 2,000-seat baseball stadium will be built behind ASU's Broyhill Inn.
The new 100,000 square foot fieldhouse will include locker rooms, weight and training areas and athletic offices as well as 10 corporate suites, a chancellor's box and club-level seating. Owens Field House will remain for continued use, probably as office and visitor's locker room space. Construction of the new facility is scheduled to begin after the completion of football season.
Plans will be unveiled at halftime of today's ASU football game against Western Carolina.
"Appalachian, in the last five years, has built close to $400 million of new facilities for academics and the school has grown to become one of the most popular for graduating high-school seniors throughout the state," said Ed Broyhill, the chairman of the athletics-facilities campaign. "With that popularity and growth of the campus, Appalachian deserves an athletic program that is superior and one that rivals other universities throughout the state.
"Our new athletic director, Charlie Cobb, certainly brought with him a reputation of building some of the finer facilities at N.C. State so we're certainly benefiting from his experience."
The athletics-facilities project, funded by both student fees and private donations and nearly two years in the making, will include three other phases to begin at a later date. Those phases include a new soccer stadium to be built near the new baseball stadium; tennis-facility enhancements; a new field-hockey stadium; a practice facility for indoor sports (possibly a renovation of Varsity Gym); and expansion of Kidd Brewer Stadium, which will be based on demand.
Construction of the new indoor practice facility for outdoor sports, moving the baseball stadium and coversion to a softball facility will begin after the next baseball season. Plans for the indoor practice facility call for a 40,000 square foot structure with an 80-by-60-yard artificial surface. Construction of the new soccer stadium is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2007.
"We are pleased with the plan," Broyhill said. "Our greatest challenge in Boone is that the terrain is mountainous and it is very costly to build facilities. We've had to take that into account as well as being landlocked so we've had to be very careful ecologically.
"I like the fact that all of the Olympics-sports staffs will be consolidated in one area, and we'll have much more square footage in terms of overall space with the new building and in keeping Owens Field House. Having the indoor practice facility adjacent to the stadium, as well as a first-class weight room, I think will serve as a wonderful recruiting tool."
• Tommy Bowman can be reached at 727-7320 or at [email protected]
Appalachian planning new fieldhouse, baseball stadium
By Tommy Bowman
JOURNAL REPORTER
BOONE
Appalachian State's $32 million project for athletics-facilities enhancement will include a new four-story fieldhouse that will be built behind the east-side grandstands and be part of Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Also included in the opening phase of the project is an indoor practice facility for outdoor sports that will be located in the right-field area of ASU's existing baseball stadium. The existing baseball stadium will be converted into a softball stadium and a new 2,000-seat baseball stadium will be built behind ASU's Broyhill Inn.
The new 100,000 square foot fieldhouse will include locker rooms, weight and training areas and athletic offices as well as 10 corporate suites, a chancellor's box and club-level seating. Owens Field House will remain for continued use, probably as office and visitor's locker room space. Construction of the new facility is scheduled to begin after the completion of football season.
Plans will be unveiled at halftime of today's ASU football game against Western Carolina.
"Appalachian, in the last five years, has built close to $400 million of new facilities for academics and the school has grown to become one of the most popular for graduating high-school seniors throughout the state," said Ed Broyhill, the chairman of the athletics-facilities campaign. "With that popularity and growth of the campus, Appalachian deserves an athletic program that is superior and one that rivals other universities throughout the state.
"Our new athletic director, Charlie Cobb, certainly brought with him a reputation of building some of the finer facilities at N.C. State so we're certainly benefiting from his experience."
The athletics-facilities project, funded by both student fees and private donations and nearly two years in the making, will include three other phases to begin at a later date. Those phases include a new soccer stadium to be built near the new baseball stadium; tennis-facility enhancements; a new field-hockey stadium; a practice facility for indoor sports (possibly a renovation of Varsity Gym); and expansion of Kidd Brewer Stadium, which will be based on demand.
Construction of the new indoor practice facility for outdoor sports, moving the baseball stadium and coversion to a softball facility will begin after the next baseball season. Plans for the indoor practice facility call for a 40,000 square foot structure with an 80-by-60-yard artificial surface. Construction of the new soccer stadium is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2007.
"We are pleased with the plan," Broyhill said. "Our greatest challenge in Boone is that the terrain is mountainous and it is very costly to build facilities. We've had to take that into account as well as being landlocked so we've had to be very careful ecologically.
"I like the fact that all of the Olympics-sports staffs will be consolidated in one area, and we'll have much more square footage in terms of overall space with the new building and in keeping Owens Field House. Having the indoor practice facility adjacent to the stadium, as well as a first-class weight room, I think will serve as a wonderful recruiting tool."
• Tommy Bowman can be reached at 727-7320 or at [email protected]