Niagara University Completes Recreation Center Renovations

Niagara University in Lewiston, N.Y., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of $11.5 million in upgrades to the Kiernan Recreation Center, according to a news release. Renovations included an 18,000-square-foot, two-story addition that plays home to a weight room, dance studios, sports medicine suite, storage, locker rooms, team meeting spaces, and administrative space.

“The renovated Kiernan Center will provide our students, and the entire community, with a facility that anchors our commitment to excellence and touches every aspect of a student’s life on our campus,” said the Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., Niagara University President. “The Kiernan Center enhances the living-learning environment for our students whether through academic programming, intramural and club sports, or as a place for students to maintain their physical well-being through individual or group exercise.”

The new facility features an indoor track, free weights, a swimming pool, basketball courts, an aerobic dance area, and other weight-training equipment. The facility sees about 2,000 individual users each week, the news release reports. It also includes academic space for the College of Education’s Special Olympics programming, theater students, sports management, and R.O.T.C. training.

Other renovations include replacing the front gym’s floor, renovations to Scaffidi gym, and infrastructure enhancements like the pool area’s filtration system, according to the news release.

Funding for the project came via a $1-million grant from the New York State Higher Education Capital (HECap) matching program, other private donations, and university investments. The university partnered with LeChase Construction Services on the project.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • University of Kentucky Receives $150M Gift Toward New Arts District

    The University of Kentucky’s Board of Trustees recently received a $150-million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation, according to a university news release, to build a new arts district on the campus in Lexington, Ky. The new district will feature a new College of Fine Arts building and a multi-hundred-seat theater, among other amenities.

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

  • Minnesota Middle School Finishes $23.5M Addition and Modernization

    Highland Park Middle School in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $23.5-million addition and remodel project, according to a news release. Saint Paul Public Schools partnered with ATS&R Planners, Architects & Engineers for its design and Kraus-Anderson for its construction.