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

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Opens New Office in Denver

    Education planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) recently announced that it has opened a new office in Denver, Colo., the firm’s third overall. QKA is headquartered in Santa Rosa, Calif., and runs an East Bay Area office in Oakland.