The Regents voted unanimously to approve the practice facility design today. The 57,00 square feet building features two basketball courts, team locker rooms, as well as training facilities. The second floor will hold coaching offices as well as film and weight rooms. The design also features a “dramatic Hall of Fame ” in the entry lobby. Construction is scheduled to be completed in fall 2011. For a 19 slide gallery of renderings, head over to the official athletic department release.
Beilein on the approval:
“It is indeed an exciting time for Michigan Basketball as we continue to work with our architects on the design of a brand new Basketball Player Development Center. These recent visual renderings of this project reflect the commitment that has been made to both the women and men’s basketball program’s here at U-M. I love the fact that our student-athletes will benefit from having the opportunity to train and prepare, using the latest technology, in a state of the art world class facility. The dedication of so many involved with the design of this facility, and the continued leadership of President Coleman, Bill Martin and Mike Stevenson has been instrumental in moving this important project forward.”
There were times when I wasn’t sure when, if ever, this day would come. It probably should have come a few years earlier, but the past is the past and now is better than never. The facility will no doubt be top notch, similar to all of the other construction going up around the athletic campus.
As frustrating as the wait was, the last year has been extraordinary for this program. An NCAA tournament berth, and a couple thousand season tickets sold for probably the most anticipated basketball season since the Fab Five was a great start. Now construction is set to break ground on a long overdue practice facility.