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OXFORD, Miss. - The UMAA Foundation announced Friday that Yates Construction has been awarded the contract to build a 51,000 square-foot basketball practice facility on the Ole Miss campus.
Yates Construction submitted a low bid of $10,644,000 on Thursday, followed by Worsham Brothers at $11,038,000, White Construction at $11,100,000 and Harrell Contracting Group at $11,297,000.
“We are in the process of coordinating a pre-construction meeting next week with Yates Construction,” said Ole Miss Senior Associate Athletics Director for Facility Operations Blake Barnes. “Hopefully, construction will begin within two weeks of that meeting, and we anticipate moving into the practice facility in the fall of 2009.”
Plans call for the practice facility to be constructed on the corner of Coliseum Drive and Hill Drive, across from the Gillom Sports Center. With its red brick and white columns matching the campus architecture, the structure will be a cornerstone in the impressive complex of athletics facilities on the southwest corner of the campus.
“We really appreciate the commitment that Bill Yates and his company have made to Ole Miss athletics,” said Ole Miss Athletics Director Pete Boone. “We look forward to our partnership with such a quality company.”
The facility will include four distinct spaces public, staff (coaches), team and individual practice courts for both men's and women's teams.
Spaces for the public include an attractive main rotunda/lobby to receive visitors and display men’s and women’s basketball memorabilia and a multimedia/entertainment meeting room that can be used for Media Days as well as for video presentations and team functions.
The staff/coaches spaces are adjacent to the rotunda/lobby, where receptionists will direct visitors to their destinations. A separate entrance for coaches is provided. Coaches' offices, a conference room, a copy center, and staff locker and dressing facilities complete the suites. The head coaches' offices provide direct access to and view of their respective practice courts.
The team spaces are specialized with shared weight and training rooms, and separate men's and women's film rooms, including computer terminals and video access. Separate team lounges also include computer access, game area and a kitchenette. Finally, there are spacious locker and dressing facilities, with a central laundry, video editing rooms, small guest viewing space of the courts, storage and equipment storage.
Individual practice courts for the men's and women's teams eliminate the scheduling conflicts that occur regularly when both teams are sharing one court for all practices and games. Practice courts for each team will allow both the men and women to maximize their practice time and achieve their full potential as players. Additional space was included to provide for individual practice of three point shooting without interrupting others practicing.
The design team includes Mills & Mills Architects, PC (Architect), CGM Group (Mechanical), The Power Source (Electrical), Williams Engineering (Site) and Springer Engineering (Structural).
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Courtesy: Mills & Mills Architects, PC
