Purdue News

January 8, 1999 Campaign for aquatics center receives Kresge grant WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The $15 million fund-raising campaign to build a new aquatics center at Purdue University is getting a $500,000 boost from The Kresge Foundation. University officials received notice this week of the challenge grant award. "The challenge grant from The Kresge Foundation is a significant step toward completion of the fund-raising portion of this project, " Margarita Contreni, director of campaign operations at Purdue, said. "But since it is a challenge grant, we must raise just under $2 million by Dec. 1, 1999, in order to receive the money." The Kresge Foundation is a private, independent foundation that funds projects in higher education, health and long-term care, science and the environment, arts and the humanities, public affairs, and human services. Grants are made toward projects involving construction or renovation of facilities and the purchase of major capital equipment or real estate. This is the fifth Kresge Foundation award received by Purdue. The aquatics center, funded entirely through donations, will be built behind the Recreational Sports Center on land that is currently occupied by an outdoor pool and diving well, three tennis courts and two basketball courts. The new center will replace the 40-year-old indoor and outdoor pools at the Recreational Sports Center and the 60-year-old pool at Lambert Fieldhouse. So far, $12.75 million has been raised toward the $15 million goal. Athletic Director Morgan Burke said he expects construction to start this summer. Construction is estimated to take 22 months. The facility would open in August 2001. The center will be open year-round to students, faculty, staff and guests of the Recreational Sports Center and also will be home to the men's and women's swim teams. The plans call for a new Olympic-size pool with eight 50-meter lanes and a separate diving well with two one-meter and two three-meter boards and a tower with three diving platforms. The aquatics center will connect via a corridor to the sports center, which will undergo a separate $7 million renovation in the future. At that time, Purdue will seek bonding authority from the Indiana General Assembly to pay for $5 million of the work on the center, and $2 million will be provided from reserve funds. The projects are a cooperative venture among Intercollegiate Athletics, the Department of Health, Kinesiology and Leisure Studies, and the Division of Recreational Sports. CONTACT: Contreni, (765) 494-0520; e-mail, mlcontreni@odp.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page