HERSHEY, Pa. — Final plans and expenditure of funds for the third and final phase of expansion of the Intramural (IM) Building at University Park moved toward a vote Thursday (Feb. 25) as a committee of the Board of Trustees heard about the planned construction. The addition to the east side of the building includes an indoor turf field, a multipurpose room, squash courts and other recreational sports spaces, as well as a club sports office suite and meeting room.
The $29.3 million Phase III renovations of the IM Building, at the intersection of Curtin Road and University Drive, have been endorsed by the Student Facility Fee Committee and also will include the fit-out of the lower-level shell space with a wellness suite, student recreation space and athletic training. The full board is expected to vote on the plan on Friday (Feb. 26).
The multi-phase project is part of an overall University strategy to meet increasing student demand for fitness and recreation facilities and is paid for primarily with University Park’s Student Facility Fee funds. Two previous phases of construction have been completed over the past few years.
Phase I construction began in February 2013 and included a new main entrance on Curtin Road to make the building more visible and accessible and a 48,000-square-foot addition. Phase II construction, which began in February 2014, addressed several long-requested improvements to the north side of the building — notably, three additional recreational courts, upgraded locker room facilities, a new multi-activity court and a longer running track with rounded corners.
The board approved Moody Nolan Inc., of Columbus, Ohio, in March 2013 as the architectural firm for all phases of renovation to the IM Building. As part of its appointment, Moody Nolan Inc. was charged with developing a master plan for the IM Building that has been implemented in phases.