Loyola to break ground on Intercollegiate Athletics Center

CHICAGO, Ill. -- The Loyola University Chicago Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced plans for the construction of the Intercollegiate Athletics Center. Preliminary utility work has already begun on the project, which should be completed in 2011, with official groundbreaking to take place in January.

"I am excited to announce the construction of the Intercollegiate Athletics Center, which is part of a multi-phased effort to upgrade non-academic life for our student body," Loyola President Reverend Michael J.Garanzini, S.J. said. "This facility will place Loyola at the forefront of the Horizon League and will help us attract the best and the brightest student-athletes in the nation."

With plans to be built on the south and east ends of the Joseph J. Gentile Center, the current home for Loyola men's and women's basketball, the Intercollegiate Athletics Center will meet several needs of the athletics program. The 77,500-square-foot building will also include locker rooms for each of Loyola's varsity teams, state-of-the-art training and weight rooms, meeting rooms, a Hall of Fame Room, and new offices for each sport and the athletics administration.

Once completed, the Intercollegiate Athletics Center, which is the first part of a multi-phased project to upgrade and enhance non-academic student life, will replace most of the current facilities current housed in Alumni Gym, which was built in 1924.

"The Intercollegiate Athletics Center will provide Loyola student-athletes with a first-class facility that will also help us recruit future Ramblers and advance our athletics programs," Director of Athletics Dr. John Planek said. "We are indebted to University trustee Allan Norville and Nick Kladis for their generosity and contributions to date as donors in this project and we anticipate many other Ramblers will partner with us as we begin a new era of Loyola Athletics."

The architectural firm of Solomon Cordwell Buenz was selected to design the facility and Power Construction will handle the construction. Solomon Cordwell Buenz is credited with numerous buildings on campus, including the Gentile Center, the Information Commons, Baumhart Hall and the Quinlan Life Sciences Building to name a few.

Intercollegiate Athletics Center Key Facts

Located on the Loyola Lake Shore Campus

Estimated completion is 2011

Total cost -- $26 million

First part of a multi-phased effort to upgrade non-academic student life at LoyolaThe building will house an improved strength and conditioning center, sports medicine facility, academic advising center, home and away locker rooms, student-athlete meeting spaces, administrative and coaches offices and a Hall of Fame Room