The University of Maine announced Friday an unprecedented $5.5 million gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation to renovate its historic field house and hockey rink.

The gift is the largest in school history to UMaine athletics, and includes a $2 million challenge grant for renovations to Memorial Gym and Fieldhouse, and $3.5 million for renovations to Alfond Arena.

“This is such a huge lift because it sends a message to other donors that this is a project that’s worth it to be a part of,” said Steve Abbott, Maine’s interim athletic director. “People are well aware of the work of Harold Alfond and the foundation. They insist on excellence in their projects.”

The athletic department set out to raise $14 million in 2007 for the Memorial Gym project, an ambitious sum that collided with the beginning of the recession.

A gift of $1 million from a former basketball player, Dick Collins, got the process rolling, then the Maine Legislature approved a $7 million bond last April. The Alfond gift brings the total raised to $10 million.

The only catch: The program will receive the $2 million once it is matched by other donors. The Alfonds have pledged $2 for every $1 raised.

“I think the Alfond gift and the earlier revenue bonding from the state should be a strong signal that this is going to happen. It’s no longer pie in the sky,” said the school president, Bob Kennedy. “It’s going to happen. And I’d hope to have the (remaining $4 million) within a year or two. We’ve got some people we’re talking to who are quite likely prospects to help.”

The intention is to restore “The Pit” as the home for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, a place once called a top-five home court in college basketball by Sports Illustrated in the 1970s.

“I remember running around there as a kid in the 1960s and 70s,” said Abbott. “It was electric. Loud. Hot. Exciting. That’s what we’re trying to return to.”

The renovation will include extensive renovations to the Pit, a new indoor track, and renovations to office space, locker rooms and many areas within the field house.

Ted Woodward, the men’s basketball coach, said his program is elated to hear of the Alfond Foundation’s generosity.

“It’s such a generous gift. We are so blessed to have the Alfonds,” said Woodward. “We can’t wait to be in a situation where we can play in here. The Pit has such a great tradition. It’s a great place not only to play but to watch college basketball. Anytime you have a great experience for your fans and your team, it’s what college basketball is about.”

Cindy Blodgett, the women’s basketball coach, also sees a recruiting advantage that a state- of-the-art facility will provide.

“It’s going to be a brand new facility with all the modern updates, so it puts us back on par,” said Blodgett. “With this state being a basketball state, it’s so imperative our university, our only Division I school, reflects that. I think it will.”

Abbott and other Maine officials met this week with an engineering firm from Kansas — Ellerbe Beckett — to discuss specifics for the renovation. Abbott said the projected finish date for the project is the start of the 2013 season.

Renovations to the hockey rink will begin as quickly as this fall. They will include a new dehumidification system and new ice making/chilling system that will improve the ice quality and cut down on fog.

It also includes new seat backs and multiple cosmetic fixes to enhance the fan experience.

“They aren’t really glitzy items, but it’s why this is such a great donation,” said Tim Whitehead, the men’s hockey coach. “It’s very difficult for us to raise money for structural improvements for any facility. The Alfond family was very generous in stepping up in being the lead donor.”

Whitehead said a new ice deck floor is expected to be installed by Christmas. That will allow the building to be warmer for basketball games and an appropriate temperature for hockey. It also will include a new sound system.

“We have the most loyal and enthusiastic fans in the country,” said Whitehead. “We’ve been pushing for quite some time to do some things to benefit the fans. So we’re really excited we can do this.

“This is huge for our program and for the university. We’re thrilled with the generosity and commitment of the Alfond Foundation and the Alfond family.”

 

Staff Writer Jenn Menendez can be contacted at 791-6426 or at: jmenendez@pressherald.com