The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/152358
The field hockey project moved forward with the Regents approving schematic design for the facility on July 18. The designs depict a new locker room, grandstand seating and support buildings for fans. The $13.5-million project features 13,000 square feet of enclosed space, replacing the South Ferry Field Locker Room building. The new area will not only house players and coaches, it will feature a Hall of Fame, press box, broadcast booth, game operations center and training equipment. The fan building creates space for new restrooms, concessions, ticketing and marketing booths. Ocker Field also gets new turf in a blue hue out of the effort, as well as new lighting and a scoreboard. The work won't begin until after the 2013 field hockey season is completed, but everything should be done in time for the 2014 campaign. "We're just finishing up the construction documents, and it should be going out for bid in the next couple of weeks," Rademacher said. "We're anticipating having a shovel in the ground on Nov. 4, right after the end of the regular season. "I think we're going to have the best field hockey facility in the country when it's done. There will be seating for about 1,500, a press box, the new teams center, and also replacing the field. It will result in an outstanding facility that will be able to host NCAA championships when it's done." Other projects still need to go through the three-step approval process by the Regents, but Brandon hasn't been shy about putting forth a very ambitious vision. The athletic department would like to begin building an outdoor stadium and team center for its lacrosse squads sometime in 2014. The estimated cost of that project is $34 million, and is but one of four projects U-M would like to start in 2014, at a combined price tag nearing $200 million. Michigan's track facilities have long been the talk of a targeted upgrade, and under the South Campus plan, a $30 million outdoor track and field stadium, along with a $57 million indoor track and team center, are in the dreaming stage. In addition, Brandon's crew would like to pursue a $57 million performance/rowing/soccer center. Down the road, a host of other venues draw costly consideration, including Canham Natatorium, Cliff Keen Arena, the U-M Golf Course and more. Brandon noted that among the 16 projects in the South Campus Facilities Plan, "Those impact every one of our 900 student-athletes, every one of our 31 teams, every one of our coaches. They involve everything from academic support to strength and conditioning and medical training, infrastructure, to practice and competition facilities." "We're working hard behind the scenes, from a planning standpoint and a developments standpoint to basically revamp the athletic campus," Rademacher noted. "At the end of it, we will wind up, from a facilities standpoint, with the best athletic campus in the country. "Other schools have a great softball facility or a great field hockey facility.