Summer Renovations in Cooper Athletic Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2008
Contact: Karen B. Eldridge, Director of News and Public Information
865.981.8207; karen.eldridge@maryvillecollege.edu

Year in and year out, Maryville College’s Cooper Athletic Center sees a lot of action.

Housing three gymnasiums, a swimming pool, a weight room, a training room, classrooms and offices, the 68,000-square-foot building is frequented by students, competitive athletes and excited fans alike.

Cooper Athletic Center is seeing a different kind of action this summer, though. Along with several other campus buildings, the 38-year-old facility is being renovated with money allocated for the Campus Improvement Plan and additional funds from an endowment established by the late Finis G. and the late Ethel Burchfield Cooper, alumni from the classes of 1918 and 1919, respectively.

Construction crews have been working in various parts of the building to complete projects outlined in “Phase I” of the renovation. A major part of Phase I renovations is reconfiguring the interior space.

Students returning to campus this month for the fall semester will notice immediately that the entrance for the main office suite has been moved to the side hallway. The old entrance has been reconfigured to house the Sports Information staff. The lobby has also been outfitted with a large screen TV, which will air interviews with players and other interest pieces.

Inside the Boydson Baird Gymnasium, floors are being refinished and new goals, shot clock, LED lights and sound system are being installed.
The racquetball courts have been transformed into meeting rooms, and the Honaker Room is being divided up into much-needed office space for the soccer, softball and tennis programs. Across the hall, the space allocated for the training room and laundry room has been reconfigured to better accommodate trainers and students.

The weight room renovation is complete. Work crews dropped the ceiling, installed new lights and painted the walls.

New furniture, along with new washers and a dryer, are being purchased.

Watching Phase I projects nearly completed, Athletics Director Kandis Schram ’85 says the building will better serve 13 varsity sports and their coaches and staffs and one physical education department.

First opened in 1970, Cooper was not designed to accommodate women’s sports, Schram points out.

“When this building was constructed, there were only men’s sports, so we’ve had to share locker spaces and offices,” she says.

With enrollment likely twice what it was in 1970 and with approximately 325 student-athletes currently enrolled at the College, usage of the building has increased exponentially.

What’s also increased exponentially since 1970 is student expectation for campus facilities and amenities. In recent years, improvements to Cooper have made it more functional and attractive to prospective students, but last year’s renovations marked the beginning of a major initiative.
Last summer, Cooper received air conditioning for the first time. Also, the pool received new floor and decking, as well as new overhead lights and paint.

As Phase I would suggest a Phase II, additional renovations are planned but aren’t likely to materialize for a few years.

“We’re hoping to construct a whole new wellness wing,” says Schram. “This includes additions such as offices, a lobby and a locker room.”

In the meantime, Schram says that the Cooper Athletic Center and the College as a whole are moving in a good direction. Although she and many others are looking forward to the completion of renovation project, they realize that better facilities and a better campus are fully worth it.

Maryville College is ideally situated in Maryville, Tenn., between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Known for its academic rigor and its focus on the liberal arts, Maryville is where students come to stretch their minds, stretch themselves and learn how to make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2009 semester is 1,103.