BIDDEFORD – Four months after it announced the receipt of a $10 million gift for an athletics complex, the University of New England presented a conceptual site plan to the Planning Board on Wednesday night.

The presentation included designs for the complex, additional parking and extended sidewalks. Work on the project should be under way by the end of June if UNE gets site plan approval, said Alan Thibeault, the university’s director of campus planning.

The complex is part of UNE’s five-year master plan for growth through 2012. The Harold Alfond Foundation gave $10 million to the university, with $7 million of it dedicated to the athletics complex. The university is raising an additional $13 million for the $20 million project, Thibeault said.

Named for Harold Alfond, the 106,000-square-foot complex will be built between the new Sokokis Hall and UNE’s new blue turf athletic field along Route 9. It will have an ice rink with bleachers that will seat 900, a basketball court, classroom space and a fitness center.

The master plan was approved by the city in 2009 and the university has the state permits it needs, but each project still needs site approval from the city’s planning board.

Members of the board asked Thibeault numerous questions during the meeting about the environmental impact of the buildings and the safety of the students.

Board member Loretta Turner asked if the complex will be a sustainable building and if the university will purse green building certifications.

Thibeault said the university will not seek LEED certification for the building because it would cost as much as $200,000, but it will follow green energy standards. UNE plans to minimize the expansion’s impact on the environment by clustering the buildings off Route 9 rather than sprawling to other university properties, he said.

Board member Melissa Bednarowski asked if any students, especially in the nearby dorm, have expressed concerns for safety, given the complex’s potential to draw patrons who are not students or faculty members to hockey and basketball games.

The university has security cameras around campus, 24-hour security service and key-card access to the dorms, Thibeault said.

He said UNE has been working with student affairs and student-run groups to solicit input on the project.

It is unclear whether residents in the area will be given access to the facilities other than for games, Thibeault said. Fitness facilities at the university’s campus center will remain open for residents with memberships.

He said the fitness rooms in the athletics complex are being designed primarily for student athletes’ training.

The university expects to bring a site plan to the board by early June. Construction is expected to last as long as 14 months and have a minimal impact on traffic in the area, Thibeault said. 

Staff Writer Emma Bouthillette can be contacted at 791-6325 or at:

ebouthillette@pressherald.com

 

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