It will host basketball and volleyball                                                            

HAMILTON — Colgate University is planning a new 65,000-square-foot basketball and volleyball arena that will anchor a new athletics quadrangle, replacing the William A. Reid Athletic Center.

Construction of the facility is set to begin next February. The effort is part of Colgate’s Third-Century Plan initiatives, per an announcement on the university’s website.

Named the Carey Center in honor of a lead $23 million gift from the Carey family — including Chase Carey, a 1976 graduate and trustee emeritus; his wife, Wendy; and their children Steve, who graduated from Colgate in 2012 and Tara, a 2013 Colgate graduate.

The new arena will serve as the home for men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball. The facility will also be the first of two buildings planned for an athletics quadrangle that will ultimately replace the existing facilities currently housed in the Reid Athletic Center, which includes Cotterell Court, according to the university.

“This is a significant, comprehensive endeavor on behalf of Colgate student-athletes, and it is happening because of the generosity of alumni, parents, and friends, most especially the Carey family,” Colgate President Brian Casey said in the announcement. “We rely on the kindness of these donors to help move Colgate athletics forward. What is just as exciting is that this facility will also provide a new flexible venue for significant University events, gatherings, musical performances, and so much more.”

Replacing Reid

Built in 1959 and designed for a student body of just 1,500 men, the Reid Athletic Center “no longer meets” the physical, technological, or programmatic standards necessary to support a modern, coeducational, nationally competitive Division I athletics program for Colgate’s 25 varsity teams, the university said.

The Carey Center will be the centerpiece of the new athletics quadrangle created by the removal of Reid. With a seating capacity of 1,650 and additional standing room, the arena will also feature a practice court; team suites for volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball; the Hall of Honor; media facilities; and a satellite sports medicine, strength, and wellness space.

“Any time you’re going to get something new of this magnitude, you’re extremely excited about it,” Matt Langel, head coach of the Colgate men’s basketball team, said in the announcement. “But for me, it speaks to the mission of the institution and the individuals that it represents.”

The glass, bluestone two-story Carey Center venue will occupy the space currently held by Colgate’s facilities department, just west of the current Reid Athletic Center footprint. The first floor will house the arena court, locker rooms, coaching offices, satellite sports medicine and strength and conditioning spaces, nutritional and wellness space, a media and production studio.

The second level will include the competition arena concourses along with a practice court, strength and conditioning mezzanine, and a recruiting lounge.

“For an athlete, having everything they need in one space — from a weight room to nutrition, to athletic training, to a locker room — and having access to multiple courts and baskets whenever they want to get in and shoot extra is important,” Ganiyat Adeduntan, head coach of the Colgate women’s basketball team, said. “From a coach’s perspective, the ability to meet with your student-athletes and have communication with people who support your team all in one area is essential.”

The Carey Center will be heated with a geothermal heating system, “setting a new standard” for energy efficiency and conservation in athletics facilities at Colgate. The school contends it “reinforces the University’s dedication to creating a more sustainable future for the campus.”

The decision was guided by Colgate’s recently updated green-building standards, which call for “thorough building life cycle analysis” and highlight the long-term environmental and economic benefits of zero-emission technologies such as geothermal, the university contends.

Second building

The second planned new building, an expected 40,000-square-foot facility, will serve multiple purposes while focusing on priorities of unifying sports performance and training, locating all elements of the football program within one facility, and providing additional space for student-athlete support.

Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP, Building 2 will be the primary location for nutrition, health and wellness, and academic support. It will be finished with a traditional exterior façade, paying tribute to the University’s historic bluestone while “mirroring the look and feel” of the neighboring venues such as Sanford Field House, Trudy Fitness Center, and Lineberry Natatorium.

The construction timeline for this project is now in development.

The construction of the Carey Center and Building 2, along with Sanford Field House, will frame a new athletics quad at Colgate. The quad will establish more active space for recreation in the heart of athletics, as well as serving as a place for community gatherings on game days and during other important campus events.

The athletics quad — created by the eventual removal of Reid — will include improved, safer pathways to and from the main athletics buildings at Colgate. As part of developing the Lower Campus, the quad will also serve as an event staging space, and will provide natural pathways from Andy Kerr Stadium to Huntington Gymnasium.