Brown University Planning New 76,000 Square-Foot Indoor Athletic Building

Brown University Planning New 76,000 Square-Foot Indoor Athletic Building

 

Brown University announced Thursday its plan to construct a massive new indoor athletic facility on the East Side of Providence.

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The 76,000-square-foot structure will not replace the four other structures, but will be in addition to the existing buildings.

There is no word on the proposed height of the structure.

The site is located within Brown's athletic complex, directly behind the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center. The project would replace the outdoor practice field with an indoor facility featuring a 52,000-square-foot turf playing surface, an entry lobby, restrooms, and space for equipment storage. 

Brown said in a statement, “The approval to proceed with selecting an architect for a new indoor practice facility to replace an existing outdoor field marks the first step in planning for a Brown Athletics resource that will help student-athletes compete at the highest level. The facility would enable coaches to optimize training for teams, and engage more campus community members in club sports, intramural activities and wellness initiatives.”

 

Architect selection for the athletics project is expected to take three months, kicking off a process toward planning, designing and building the facility, pending additional approvals.

Pending additional approvals, construction for the indoor practice facility is targeted to begin in Summer 2024 and last approximately 18 months.

“Our strategic plan started with foundational beliefs that all students should have access to wellness programs, which is important not just for physical well-being, but for mental and emotional well-being,” said Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Grace Calhoun. “An indoor field house will transform the types of programs we can offer and the quality of the everyday experience for students — everyone from the casual weekly visitor to the most competitive varsity student-athlete who wants to compete for a national championship.”

Brown says in an email it will hold neighborhood meetings:

Brown will host an open-to-the-public meeting on Wednesday, June 21, at the Watson Institute.

Beyond that and the individual meetings we're having with local stakeholders and groups, we are also participating in multiple meetings hosted locally by other groups. Upcoming ones include:
-- College Hill Neighborhood Association on June 5
-- Thayer Street District Management Authority on June 6
-- Fox Point Neighborhood Association on June 12
-- Jewelry District Association on June 13
-- Providence Councilman John Goncalves Ward 1 meeting on June 26
 

 

Parking Study

A recent study paid for by Brown by consultants VHB assessed parking and traffic conditions near the Erickson Athletic Complex with a focus on patterns related to athletic events made a number of claims:

The findings indicated sufficient area parking: Of the 2,044 on-street and lot parking spaces within an 8-minute walk of the complex, roughly 60% were occupied in peak times, on a sample of Saturdays throughout the spring sports season. The study also identified underused Brown parking lots, which the University expects to use in new ways to expand general parking capacity in the area — for example, redirecting visiting teams to these lots.

 

UPDATE: 5:35 PM.