Work begins on indoor event center
Thursday, January 16, 2014 2:00 AM
News
Pittsburg, KS
Contractors have used a few days of good weather in January to begin site work on Pittsburg State University’s new indoor event center, creating a buzz on campus and in the community.
“We will have a formal groundbreaking ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on February 25 to make it official, but we didn’t want to wait a day longer than necessary to get to work on this great addition to the campus and the community,” said PSU President Steve Scott.
The president said the project is funded through our partnership with the city, our students and private donors. No state funds will be used in the project.
Pittsburg Mayor Michael Gray said the entire community was eager for the construction to begin.
“Citizens of Pittsburg are always interested in developments at Pittsburg State,” Gray said. “It’s been fascinating to watch the construction of the Center for the Arts this past year. But the community has an even greater reason to be interested in the indoor events center because we have invested in it. This is going to have a positive impact on the entire community.”
The indoor event center is being built adjacent to Pittsburg State’s Weede PE Building. The facility, encompassing more than 154,000 square feet, will include a 100-yard turf field, an 11,000-square-foot state-of-the-art strength facility, a 300-meter track and seating for up to 1,500. It will also include locker rooms for men’s and women’s track and football, offices and meeting rooms. Completion is expected by the spring of 2015.
The planned construction of the indoor event center was key in the NCAA’s choice of Pittsburg State to host the 2016 and 2018 Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track Championships.
Jim Johnson, director of Intercollegiate Athletics, said the indoor event center is a key piece of the facilities puzzle that strengthens the university and the community.
“This is an important step in our ongoing effort to provide an infrastructure that benefits student athletes, the university and the wider community,” Johnson said.
