University of Mary Opens New Multimillion-Dollar Fieldhouse and Wellness Center
BISMARCK, ND — The University of Mary held its grand opening and blessing ceremony at the new multimillion-dollar fieldhouse and wellness center today, Wednesday, January 11, 2017. Faculty, staff, students and honored guests celebrated the opening of the $10-million facility with a campus-wide Mass held inside the 80,000 square foot structure.
“This is truly a result of a community effort, a statewide effort, where groups and friends of the University of Mary came together from start to finish realizing the need for a state-of-the-art facility that will be beneficial for all our students,” explained Jerome Richter, vice president for the Office of Public Affairs. “In the spirit of our founders, the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, this fieldhouse exemplifies a healthy integration of athletics into our campus culture, with the hope that our varsity teams and our intramural and wellness programs will bear witness to the best of our Christian, Catholic, Benedictine heritage.”
The new fieldhouse and wellness center is constructed into a two-level multipurpose arena equipped with four basketball courts, a 200-meter competition-size NCAA track and field area, rock climbing wall, tennis, volleyball and racquetball courts, state-of-the-art group fitness room and studios, coaches’ offices, team and day locker rooms, meeting rooms and a lounge.
This is the second of several major construction projects to be completed in phase one of a three-phased $272-million Vision 2030 Capital Campaign at Mary, added Richter, who is spearheading the fundraising. Roers Hall, the first project completed this past August, has 284 beds and is an all women’s residence hall.
The third project in Phase I includes the Lumen Vitae University Center that is currently under construction and due to open in September of 2017, before the start of the fall semester. Once that project is completed, Phase I continues with the highly anticipated School of Engineering to be located on north campus occupying two levels of the current University Hall building.
To date, the Vision 2030 Campaign has raised over $57-million.