Sport clubs and intramurals will get an upgrade next semester as a new $2.4 million facility is set to open. The facility will alleviate field space issues as well as upgrade the quality of fields used for practices, leagues and tournaments.
The facility will be located at the intersection of River Road and Gourrier Road. The facility includes a support building which will consist of office space, a meeting room, men’s and women’s restrooms, showers and equipment storage space.
Associate Director of Operations Mike Giles said the complex will include three multi-purpose fields for use by club teams.
“They’re all the size of a rugby field,” he said. “That’s the largest field so everything will then incorporate down on top of it.”
Six separate sets of lights will light each field. Giles also said the fields will be sloped to aid in water runoff as well as containing an underground drainage system.
According to Giles, the facility should open by Sept. 1. Barring any setbacks, Giles expects the fields to be open for the fall.
“Hopefully if we can get some grass down in May, then that will give the summertime for growth,” Giles said. “And hopefully by the first of September we’ll be playing on it.”
He also said the development for the support building began last week.
“We just met with our architects,” he said. “The building might not be ready [by Sept. 1] but the fields will be.”
The facility also will include a parking area with space for about 160 vehicles.
“It will be fenced in [the parking area],” Giles said. “We’ll open it when we make the determination of times and schedules.”
The complex is designed specifically and exclusively for LSU club sports and intramural activities.