Newing College won’t be the only part of campus getting double-takes in the upcoming years.
Binghamton University’s outdoor athletic facilities are also getting a makeover, though the exact time frame for when the project will be finished is in question.
HISTORY
The initial sign of renovation plans dates back to summer 2001, when then-associate athletic director Jim Norris noticed that the outdoor athletic facilities of the University were substandard to not only other Division-I facilities, but also to those of local high schools. Shortly after BU athletics moved to D-I in 2001, Norris, who is currently the interim athletic director, embarked on a mission to convince the school’s administration that the outdoor facilities needed to be upgraded.
And so in early September 2001, Norris and then-athletic director Joel Thirer, who was previously Director of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and is currently a faculty member in the Health and Wellness program, went on a tour of local high schools in the Endicott and Binghamton areas to see what kind of athletic facilities they had.
Following the tour, Norris was able to convince Thirer that upgrading athletic facilities was a crucial step for the University in moving forward not only in terms of recruitment but also in improving its public image.
BU hired HMH Site and Sports Design, a site and sports planning and design company, and came up with what Norris referred to as an “outdoor venue upgrade project,” which was an all-inclusive look at outdoor athletic facilities on campus.
There was plenty to be done, so the project was broken down into multiple phases.
“If I was a magician, I would have waved a wand and we’d have done everything at once,” Norris said. “But I’m not a magician.”
GRAND PLANS
Phase 1 was completed in summer 2007 and included the Bearcats Sports Complex that now hosts men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse games in the fall and spring seasons, respectively.
“It became pretty apparent that as our teams were elevating [in competition], we needed to elevate our facilities,” Norris said.
The Complex includes two lit artificial turf fields, permanent seating, concession stands and restrooms.
“The whole nine yards,” Norris added.
Phase 2 began in fall 2009 when the University started to work with HMH to develop a plan to relocate the softball complex and renovate Varsity Field, home of Binghamton’s baseball team.
But when the plans were completed in spring 2010, their numerous amenities simply made them a pipe dream, according to Norris.
Those designs began with a complete renovation of Varsity Field, including the installation of an artificial surface, sunken Major League-style dugouts, a press box, permanent seating and lighting.
The field was also set to be reoriented because of safety concerns resulting from foul balls landing on the tennis courts behind home plate.
The softball field, which currently lies on the east side of campus, was to be relocated to an area adjacent to the Bearcats Sports Complex and closer to other athletic facilities. In terms of amenities, it was to be very similar to Varsity Field, including an artificial outfield surface with a dirt infield mix, sunken dugouts, permanent seating, a press box and lights.
FINANCIAL SHORTFALL
The plans for renovation would transform Binghamton’s fields into top-tier facilities, but extensive designs forced the University to revisit the financials.
“We had to match up what we really wanted with what was budgeted for the project,” Norris said. “We understood that some cuts were going to need to be made.”
Chief among those cuts was the lighting for both fields, which was originally included in the plans because of an America East Conference requirement that fields hosting a conference championship were required to have lights.
With a plan finally set, Norris was told that a representative from the State University Construction Fund, which oversees construction projects within New York state universities, visited campus in the summer of 2010 to inspect the plans.
Upon seeing Varsity Field, the representative noticed that the tennis courts adjacent to it were in poor condition and would need to be renovated while also noting that due to a requirement of the State University Construction Fund, installing artificial turf on both fields would not be allowed.
REDESIGNED PLAN
Following the representative’s visit, the plans changed yet again for both the softball and baseball fields: they would each lose their artificial surfaces and instead be re-done with natural grass while the number of seats was to be cut slightly to free up money to use for the tennis courts.
Those renovations would also result in reducing the total number of courts from 14 to 12 to allow for more space in between each with built-in seating and lighting.
And that is where the final plans stood as of mid-April, when the proposal was sent to the administration.
According to Norris, the project as a whole is estimated to cost $5.6 million. Individually, the tennis courts are slated to cost $1.46 million, the baseball field $2.17 million and the softball field $1.42 million.
“Any time you can have your university show you that level of commitment to your sport, it’s very exciting for your program, for your student-athletes, as well as alumni,” head baseball coach Tim Sinicki said. “So to me, it speaks to a level of commitment and that our sports are important to [the University] and they’re willing to show their support through a new complex and a new set of facilities.”
As of mid-April, the construction was set to begin on the tennis courts this month, the baseball field in July and the softball field in September.
ANOTHER SETBACK
But according to James Van Voorst, BU’s vice president for administration, that schedule is now unrealistic.
“There is a process where the [New York] State Division of [the] Budget has to approve it before you can undertake a project,” he said. “And the project is still with them. They haven’t said no and they haven’t said yes.”
As a result, Phase 2 of a project that began over a decade ago currently remains on hold, though Van Voorst insists the administration is not wavering in its support.
“It’s not a matter of funding not being available,” he said. “It’s an important project, and we’re still committed to getting it done. It’s just the timing that has been affected.”