When construction is complete, sports facilities at Stonehill College and the University of Portland (Ore.) will bear the names of Rev. Mark T. Cregan, C.S.C., and Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., respectively.
On May 15, Stonehill broke ground on a new, 50,000-square-foot addition to its Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex. The new space will house the Rev. Mark T. Cregan, C.S.C., Athletics and Fitness Center, which will contain additional weight and fitness facilities and student locker rooms.
Fr. Cregan completed his tenure as the College’s 9th president last year. The addition bearing his name will also house 12, new, varsity locker rooms with a dedicated varsity weight room, office space for coaches and the Lou Gorman ’53 Pavilion, which will display and honor the Red Sox legend’s achievements.
Opened in 1988, the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex was designed to serve 1,900 students. Today it serves 2,500, as the College’s student population has grown. The project, slated to be completed in July 2015, will also include a renovation of the original building.
“With this project, we are expanding fitness, recreation and athletic options for our students and our student athletes. It is a major undertaking but one worth embarking on in our work to build character in our students and educate the whole person,” said Stonehill President John Denning, C.S.C.
On May 9, the University of Portland (Ore.) broke ground on the Beauchamp Recreation & Wellness Center. The facility will be named for Fr. Beauchamp, who is stepping down as president at the end of June. He has served as the 19th president of the University since 2003. In the fall, he will become fourth assistant provincial of the United States Province of Priests and Brothers, where he will oversee development and the implementation of recommendations of the Task Force on Holy Cross Higher Education.
The Beauchamp Recreation & Wellness Center will be a $23 million, state-of-the-art facility that will enhance the physical and mental health of students, faculty and staff. It was entirely funded by donors through the RISE Campaign, which at $175 million is one of the largest development campaigns ever for a Pacific Northwest private college or university. Fr. Beauchamp was instrumental in the success of the campaign, for which he was honored during the “Heroes Among Us” gala May 8 that signaled the closing of the RISE Campaign.
Fr. Beauchamp said having his name associated with the facility is “a gift beyond measure.”
More information on the Stonehill athletic complex expansion is available on the College’s website. More on the Portland project is available on the University’s website.
