Bellevue University will break ground Friday on a $24 million athletic fieldhouse.
Mary Hawkins, president of the private university, said the fieldhouse is overdue. Its construction will be paired with about $8 million in remodels for four existing campus buildings, including the Gordon Lozier Athletic Center.
Construction on the fieldhouse, which will be larger than 72,000 square feet, is expected to take 18 to 24 months.
The two-level fieldhouse will include multiple competition and practice courts for basketball and volleyball, along with other athletic facilities such as a weight room and locker rooms. The fieldhouse also will have a press room, an office and meeting and storage space.
The planned construction and renovation projects come as the university continues to expand its athletic offerings. In recent years, it has added women’s basketball, outdoor track and esports programs to help bring the total number of student athletes to nearly 200.
But the facilities haven’t kept up with the athletic department’s growth. Hawkins said the current athletic center, for example, doesn’t meet height regulations for volleyball.
“I should have done this gym probably 15 years ago,†Hawkins said, adding that university leaders’ frugal philosophy has contributed to delaying construction of a new facility.
Bellevue University also will renovate and repurpose existing spaces, including the current athletic center, Freeman Lozier Library, Margre H. Durham Student Center and Durham Administration Building.
Hawkins said the renovations will allow the university to add more student support services. She added that the university won’t be able to renovate the existing buildings until the fieldhouse is built.
“Otherwise, the athletes won’t have a place to play,†Hawkins said.
Bellevue University is the latest small Nebraska postsecondary institution to announce plans for new athletic facilities. This summer, Wayne State College and Peru State College said they would spend and , respectively, to build domed athletic facilities on their campuses.
Bellevue University will build a $24 million fieldhouse that will include multiple competition and practice courts for basketball and volleyball. Construction is expected to be completed in 2024.
In addition to hosting volleyball matches and basketball games, Bellevue University's future fieldhouse will include a weight room, locker rooms, a press room and space for offices, meetings and storage.