Growing Tech gears for fall
School expects athletic center, dorms to be done
Indiana Tech plans to complete construction of a new athletic center and housing facility by the fall semester, the school announced Wednesday.
Construction of both additions, which will begin this spring, is necessary because of increasing enrollment, according to a university statement.
The new 18,500-square-foot athletic center will provide more space for athletic teams and intramural programs. It will include a gym, coaches’ offices, locker rooms and storage space.
The center will be west of the soccer field, near Maumee Avenue and University Street, and will have public restrooms and concession stands, according to Janet Schutte, director of marketing.
The construction of a new athletic center was necessary because Schafer Center, the existing building, could not accommodate all practice schedules, she said.
To address the increasing need for housing, the university is building row house-style housing on the north side of Washington Boulevard. The residence hall will be the sixth building on campus for student housing and will have 29 sleeping rooms, according to Schutte.
Each unit will be three floors and include a full kitchen, living area, several bathrooms and bedrooms.
At least one unit will accommodate students with disabilities.
The statement said the new residences are part of a long-term plan to build additional units along Washington Boulevard from University Street to Anthony Boulevard.
The school said a 57 percent increase in traditional students during the past five years has increased demand for recreational activities and housing.
Indiana Tech enrolled 4,898 students for the 2009-10 school year.
Allison Perry, 12, lay as still as a mummy Wednesday as her friend, Nicole LaRue, covered Perry’s face with strips of papier-mâché. “Do you think you need more?” LaRue asked Perry, who answered with silence.