Countdown is on: Construction on new Fieldhouse making swift progress

133 days and counting …

Progress has been steady with major changes to the soon-to-be Student Athletics, Academic, and Recreation Center visible daily – all toward a projected construction completion timeline of mid- to late August.

The $27.4 million, fully donor-funded Fieldhouse will be formally dedicated on Saturday, October 3, as part of Heidelberg’s Homecoming and the University’s 175th Anniversary.

The facility is now completely enclosed and under roof, according to Rod Morrison, Associate Vice President for Facilities and Engineering, who’s overseeing the construction process from Heidelberg’s perspective.

In addition to completing the roof, work crews have also finished the exterior cladding and stone work and most of the glass has been installed.

Inside, progress continues as well. Netting and basketball backboards have been installed in the track area and the turf side, Rod said.

One of the next big phases will be installation of turf and rubber flooring. Materials have arrived and are being stored off-site. Wood flooring has arrived at the Main Street site. Installation of all of these is scheduled for June.

Much of the equipment and furnishings for the Fieldhouse have been ordered. When complete, the décor will leave no doubt that it is the home of the Student Princes with appropriate recognition for donors.

This week, improvements to the Stadium View parking lot, just east of the building across Rock Creek, began, with exterior concrete and roadway work to begin soon.