UMaine planning facility transformation
ORONO, Maine (BVM) — The University of Maine has announced its $110 million plan to revamp the school’s athletic facilities in the future announcing the plan to provide modern facilities for all 17 varsity programs at the university.
The project will feature a new basketball building, three new artificial turf fields for UMaine women’s soccer, field hockey and softball and two new domed facilities.
UMaine Pursues Transformative $110 Million Athletic Facilities Plan
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Master Plan Breakdown: https://t.co/Dj11yxHg1E#BlackBearNation pic.twitter.com/LN862ihpS4— Maine Athletics (@BlackBearNation) February 17, 2021
“We are going to build outstanding athletic facilities to support our Black Bear athletes and students and youth from all over the state,” UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said in a press release. “Wins for our athletic program and all the work we do to advance the initiatives supported by the Harold Alfond Foundation will include inclusion and community building. We are Maine’s public universities and everyone will be welcome to engage in our programs, use our facilities, and contribute to our success.”
The transformation was made possible after the University of Maine System received $90 million from the Harold Alfond Foundation, which will be part of a larger $240 million investment set to cover 10-12 years.
The plan is to rebuild or renovate nearly all of the Black Bears’ athletic facilities. The construction of UMaine Multipurpose Center will become the new home for the program’s basketball team.
“For many years our athletes have been performing in outdated and even crumbling, cramped facilities,” UMaine Athletic Director Ken Ralph said. “Thanks to the generosity of the Alfond Foundation and support from university leadership, we will be able to provide the quality of facilities necessary for our Black Bears to compete on a national level.
“We are also using this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to equity and to show our dedication to making Orono the go-to destination for sports in Maine for athletes of all ages,” Ralph said. “Our students, our fans, and the local community have waited a long time for these improvements, and we are excited to get started.”
The expansion of the Shawn Walsh Hockey Center will include new locker rooms for the men’s and women’s hockey teams, a strength and conditioning facility, offices and film rooms. Other sports like football will receive a new locker room and offices in the multipurpose center.
The upgrades to the facility should help in recruiting, as the Black Bears look to do as much as they can to entice future recruits. The announced plans are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2021 and intend to begin construction of new fields in 2022.
