Laney getting its fields of dreams
Men, women to have separate treatment areas
Scott Strain
Issue date: 2/4/10 Last update: 2/4/10 at 5:03 AM PST
Section: Sports
The long-awaited, long-delayed sports construction project is finally underway at Laney College.
The formal groundbreaking for the new athletic fields and field house took place on Nov. 23, but actual construction started in January.
Planners hope that the project—which includes a new baseball field, field house and a parking lot—will be completed in 13 months, in time for the Laney baseball team to play on its new field in 2011.
The baseball team will play its 2010 home games at the College of Alameda.
The cost is estimated to be between $14-15 million with the money coming from Measure A funds that voters passed in 2006.
Laney College Athletic Director John Beam hopes that the total cost will come in at around $14.2 million.
“We’re two years behind schedule (in starting), but it is now moving forward and at a good rate,” he said.
Phase One of the project will be a new 95-space parking lot that (hopefully) will alleviate the parking problems of students, faculty and staff. The lot will be at the corner of Eighth Street and Fifth Avenue and cars will be under a solar canopy that will generate solar power for the campus.
Phases Two and Three will include an 18,000-square foot, two-story field house that will house classrooms, coaches’ offices and new separate athletic training facilities for men and women.
The baseball field will have a synthetic turf, a new press box and groundskeeping facilities.
All the phases are needed—parking is at a premium, coaches’ offices are small, male and female athletes must use the same training room facilities and the baseball field has never been renovated since it was built in the 1960s.
What is important, Beam stresses, is that these fields and facilities are classrooms—instructional areas for a segment of the student population.
“These are going to be huge classrooms out there where people can go every day and support what they have to do. It is important to remember that our coaches are instructors,” Beam said.
The lack of separate women’s athletic training facilities has been a real concern; female athletes currently must venture into the training room that is located just outside the men’s locker room if they wish to receive treatment.
The new field house, with separate treatment rooms for men and women, will eliminate that problem.
“We are particularly excited that the training room will finally meet Title IX regulations and our women athletes will know that they are important to our program,” Beam said in a statement.
The new training environment and classrooms will help improve Laney students’ performances in their chosen sports.
Construction of this Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver-certified project is scheduled to be completed in February 2011.
The formal groundbreaking for the new athletic fields and field house took place on Nov. 23, but actual construction started in January.
Planners hope that the project—which includes a new baseball field, field house and a parking lot—will be completed in 13 months, in time for the Laney baseball team to play on its new field in 2011.
The baseball team will play its 2010 home games at the College of Alameda.
The cost is estimated to be between $14-15 million with the money coming from Measure A funds that voters passed in 2006.
Laney College Athletic Director John Beam hopes that the total cost will come in at around $14.2 million.
“We’re two years behind schedule (in starting), but it is now moving forward and at a good rate,” he said.
Phase One of the project will be a new 95-space parking lot that (hopefully) will alleviate the parking problems of students, faculty and staff. The lot will be at the corner of Eighth Street and Fifth Avenue and cars will be under a solar canopy that will generate solar power for the campus.
Phases Two and Three will include an 18,000-square foot, two-story field house that will house classrooms, coaches’ offices and new separate athletic training facilities for men and women.
The baseball field will have a synthetic turf, a new press box and groundskeeping facilities.
All the phases are needed—parking is at a premium, coaches’ offices are small, male and female athletes must use the same training room facilities and the baseball field has never been renovated since it was built in the 1960s.
What is important, Beam stresses, is that these fields and facilities are classrooms—instructional areas for a segment of the student population.
“These are going to be huge classrooms out there where people can go every day and support what they have to do. It is important to remember that our coaches are instructors,” Beam said.
The lack of separate women’s athletic training facilities has been a real concern; female athletes currently must venture into the training room that is located just outside the men’s locker room if they wish to receive treatment.
The new field house, with separate treatment rooms for men and women, will eliminate that problem.
“We are particularly excited that the training room will finally meet Title IX regulations and our women athletes will know that they are important to our program,” Beam said in a statement.
The new training environment and classrooms will help improve Laney students’ performances in their chosen sports.
Construction of this Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver-certified project is scheduled to be completed in February 2011.
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