A rendering of the proposed DePaul Athletics practice facility. (Courtesy of HNTB and Antunovich Associates)Plans are moving ahead for DePaul Athletics to build a state-of-the-art practice facility on the Lincoln Park Campus.
The first phase of the athletics projects was completed at the end of the summer following a nine-month renovation of the
Sullivan Athletic Center and McGrath-Phillips Arena. The modernized spaces include new team-specific locker rooms, enhanced recovery, sports medicine, and sports performance spaces, as well as the addition of dedicated recruiting spaces and modernized arena amenities and accessibility features.
The second phase received a big boost in late September as 43rd Ward Alderman Timmy Knudsen announced his formal support for the practice facility project following an extensive dialogue with the community and the university.
“DePaul is incredibly grateful to 43rd Ward Alderman Timmy Knudsen for his counsel and partnership since stepping into office two years ago,” says President Robert L. Manuel. “His support is a major step forward and the result of years of hard work by hundreds of people across DePaul, community leaders and the Lincoln Park neighborhood.”
The new practice facility will provide DePaul’s men’s and women’s basketball programs with a space to practice and train, while the first floor of the facility will be dedicated to the health and wellness of all 215+ DePaul student-athletes. The floor will include a team dining space, nutrition bar, new sports medicine treatment spaces and offices, hydrotherapy, a weight room, and multi-purpose meeting rooms. The first floor will also feature a new broadcast production studio, allowing for the development of new interdisciplinary partnerships.
“A new athletics facility — and the accompanying benefits agreed upon by the university and the alderman — will not only elevate DePaul’s 15 sports, but our entire university and surrounding Lincoln Park community. We hope, upon completion, that the practice facility will be a building that the entire neighborhood can be proud of and be one piece of a major university initiative to design DePaul as a national leader in higher education,” Manuel adds.
The two projects will assist in meeting the current and future needs of DePaul Athletics and place each sport in the best position to compete in the BIG EAST and nationally while graduating student-athletes ready to make a difference in their chosen career field, says Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy.
“The new facility will provide our student-athletes with a cutting-edge training environment where they can thrive academically and athletically,” Peevy says. “It will serve as a catalyst for interdisciplinary partnerships for all DePaul students in broadcast, videography and creative storytelling.
“And importantly, it will also become a valuable resource for the broader Lincoln Park community, reducing scheduling gridlock and allowing more community access to our facilities. This investment will enable DePaul Athletics to achieve even more on the national stage, thus furthering the university’s brand, connectivity and self-generated revenues,” Peevy adds.
Next steps
The new practice facilities project will next head to Chicago’s Zoning Board and City Council for approval.
As part of the project, DePaul will also move forward with the historical landmarking of the exterior of Cortelyou Commons and Byrne Hall so that they will be a permanent part of the Lincoln Park neighborhood and Sheffield Historic District. In addition, DePaul will work with the Vincentian Order to update the façade and other necessary upgrades to historic O’Connell Hall. More information about the history of these iconic campus buildings, and the university’s commitment to preservation will be shared when it is available.
Russell Dorn is a senior manager of media relations in University Communications.