BC Athletics Investment: Construction Could Begin This Summer

Boston College unveiled intentions to spend $200 million on new athletics construction on Monday. The project will include the replacement of the Flynn Recreational Center with a new indoor athletics field house. In addition, a new rec plex will be built, along with a new baseball field, softball field, and new intramural fields of play.

In a report on Monday by The Heights, university spokesman Jack Dunn confirmed that the plans for the new rec center and baseball/softball fields have been approved with Boston College merely awaiting the permits for construction to begin. Therefore, construction could begin as early as this summer.

The indoor practice facility, however, still has to go through an approval and permit process.

The baseball and softball fields, along with the new rec plex and intramural fields, were approved as part of the Institutional Master Plan in 2009. The indoor practice facility still needs to go through an approval process, but Brad Bates expressed excitement in the project in The Heights' report. He also expressed that no red flags came up in the process, but the athletics department would not release the plan without solid footing.

Even with the anticipated construction of the new indoor facility, Boston College will retain use of an inflatable bubble on Alumni Stadium. The Bubble will serve as an auxiliary training grounds for teams during the football offseason and winter.

Bates also indicated in the report that construction will take approximately 8-12 months to complete once permits are approved for the field house. No monetary value has been given as of yet to the value of either the facility, the rec plex, or any of the new fields. No construction contracts have been estimated or put to bid as of yet.