The University of Scranton Breaks Ground on South Side Athletics Campus

The University of Scranton broke ground today on a new $14 million South Side Athletics Campus that will includes NCAA regulation baseball and softball fields and a multipurpose field that meets NCAA standards for soccer, lacrosse and field hockey, in addition a community basketball court, a children’s play area, field house, bleacher seating and parking.

The 11-acre athletics campus, located along Broadway Street in Scranton, will be developed on property already owned by the University. The athletics campus will help the University to address long-standing needs for additional space for athletics, intramural and recreational sports, as well as complement the region’s ongoing revitalization efforts by upgrading recreational facilities at that location and beautifying the neighborhood.

In his remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony, University of Scranton President Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., said the athletics campus “will improve the University’s value proposition and will impact student recruitment. With only a single outdoor athletics facility, we must schedule Fitzpatrick Field all hours of the day and well into the evening just to support intercollegiate athletics, leaving little time for intramurals and recreational sports. Our baseball and softball teams must play on rented municipal fields.”

Father Quinn also noted that in addition to benefitting “the entire University community as almost 2,700 of our students compete in sports at the intercollegiate, intramural, club and recreational levels, the City of Scranton will also benefit from this project through construction jobs, permit payments, and, most importantly, community access to the facility. It is a great privilege for me to invest in our city in a way that benefits the community in such a direct manner.”

The South Side Athletics Campus will be home for the University’s soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, baseball and softball Division III NCAA teams. In addition, the upgrade will allow the University to host NCAA as well as PIAA tournaments that will draw visitors to Scranton and Lackawanna County from a larger geographical area. These visitors will utilize hotel, dining and shopping amenities, spurring increased economic activity in the greater Scranton area. The site, which runs adjacent to the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, will also include a children’s playground area and community basketball court.

The South Side Athletics Campus includes: a 75 by 120 yard, synthetic-turf, multi-purpose field with 528 bleacher seats, field lighting and a press box; a synthetic-turf baseball field with more than 300 bleacher seats, home and away bullpens and two batting cages; a synthetic-turf softball field with more than 150 bleacher seats, home and away bullpens and a batting cage; and a 4,000-square-foot field house with two team locker rooms and a training room. The plan accommodates parking for nearly 90 cars.

Both Father Quinn and Lawrence R. Lynch, chair of the University’s Board of Trustees, who also spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony, thanked the many donors who have generously supported this project.

Also speaking at groundbreaking ceremony were: Robert W. Davis Jr., Ed.D., chief of staff at the University; David Martin, director of athletics at the University; Bill Courtright, Mayor of the City of Scranton; and Kailyn Angelo, a University student from West Chester and member of the women’s lacrosse team.

The University collaborated with landscape architects Derck and Edson, Lititz, and Spillman Farmer Architects, Bethlehem, to design the project. The Quandel Group Inc., Scranton, is the construction manager.

The expected completion date for the project is the fall of 2017.

The University of Scranton broke ground for its new $14 million South Side Athletics Campus. From left: representing the University area Lawrence R. Lynch, chair, Board of Trustees; Robert W. Davis Jr., Ed.D., chief of staff; Colleen Piviroto, senior women’s athletics administrator and women’s soccer coach; Eric Eckenrode, director of athletic development; and student Kailyn Angelo, member of the women’s lacrosse team; Ronda Beemer, director of business development, Quandel Construction Group Inc.; David Martin, director of athletics at the University; University President Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., Bill Courtright, Mayor of the City of Scranton; Edward Steinmetz, senior vice president for finance and administration for the University ; Gary Olsen, vice president for University advancement; James Devers, University project manager; Daniel Harrigan, principal, Spillman Farmer Architects; James L. Caffrey, associate vice president for facilities operations at the University; and Toby Lovecchio, associate director of athletics at the University.