The expansion of the Volpe Athletic Center on the campus of Merrimack College is continuing on schedule. Pro Con Inc of Manchester, N.H. is the architect and construction manager for the project, which includes a new practice ice arena and a new home for the college's sports medicine and athletic training programs.
"The final phase of the project's steel framing is nearly complete," said the project manager for Pro Con. "The exterior and interior masonry work is underway and the air conditioning and dehumidification units are expected to be placed on the rooftop by the end of January. The project remains on-schedule for a mid-June completion date."
The Volpe Athletic Center expansion project is a critical piece to attaining key goals outlined in the college's 10-year strategic plan, the Agenda for Distinction.
The 83,000 s/f expansion includes a new ice arena that features an 85 x 200 ft. ice surface with mezzanine seating and large locker rooms with space for changing, equipment storage and athletic training facilities. The expanded entrance lobby will house the college's bookstore and a concession stand.
Pro Con began construction for the project in September 2012 and has scheduled a completion date for this summer.
The new arena will allow Merrimack College to expand its partnership with a local youth hockey club by providing the club with a permanent home and will complement the college's existing ice arena, the Lawler Center, the current home for Merrimack hockey games and practices.
The new home for the college's sports medicine and athletic training programs will consist of classroom space, team locker and shower rooms, a weight training facility and offices. These additions will provide health science majors with real-world opportunities that combine classroom work with internships and relevant clinical and professional experience.
Sports medicine and athletic training are among the fastest growing programs at the college and prepare students for a wide variety of careers including nurse practitioners, nutritionists, physician assistants, physical therapists and athletic trainers. Students combine classroom work with internships and practicum courses to gain clinical experience.
Merrimack College's ice arena expansion project is one of several ice arenas Pro Con has managed including the 68,200 s/f Watson Arena on the campus of Bowdoin College in Brunswick Maine, a 65,000 s/f ice arena complex at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire and a 59,000 s/f ice arena at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass.
Pro Con is a full service architecture and construction management firm specializing in commercial, hospitality, institutional, industrial and multi-family residential projects. The company is recognized as an industry leader and is known for their single source design-build delivery system, "The Diamond Solution."