The Athletics Department's proposal to build the three-story 42,000-square-foot Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center seems to be moving forward, according to an e-mail from the Office of Special Events to alumni announcing a groundbreaking event planned for April 12.
While the final plans for the project have yet to be officially approved by the City of Medford Zoning Board of Appeals, the e-mail indicated that the university is "optimistic that full approval will be reached soon" and that construction on the complex will begin on that date.
Vice President for Operations Dick Reynolds told the Daily in December that the building should be completed and ready for use by students and athletes by fall of 2012.
The complex is the second phase of a three-phase initiative announced in 2007 by University President Lawrence Bacow, to develop the university's athletics facilities. The first phase, completed in 2008, saw renovations of Cousens Gym that involved a 90-degree rotation of the gym's basketball courts and additional seating.
Plans for this second phase include the construction of a three-story building between Cousens and the Gantcher Center that will house additional locker rooms and offices and a new fitness facility to supplement the existing Chase Gym.
The third phase of the project will involve further fundraising to achieve the Athletic Department's goal of a modernized swimming pool and squash courts, according to Athletics Director Bill Gehling told the Daily in December.
The project hit a minor speed bump this winter when the Board of Appeals rejected certain portions of the plan because they didn't meet aspects of the Medford zoning ordinance. The university is awaiting approval for a zoning variance it filed following the rejection.
The Facilities and Construction Department will head the building's construction and hired design and construction company Stanmar and architectural firm DiMella Shaffer to develop the facility's design, according to Reynolds.
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