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Athletic Heritage Center breaks ground at McKale

Arizona Summer Wildcat

Project will include new training rooms, computers

The addition of an Athletic Heritage Center to the McKale Center broke ground last week to create a new north entrance and expand the capabilities of the facility.

The construction project - an expansion of McKale Center - includes building three levels with new weight and training rooms, a women's locker room and the new entrance to the north side.

Academic and computer services also will be available in the new facilities.

Stephen Kozachik, UA director of facilities and capital projects for athletics, said the existing training room will house the computer and academic services, while the weight room will become the new women's locker room.

The weight room and training room will then move on to the bottom level of the McKale Center.

"The expansion will increase the size and the quality of the woman's locker room," Kozachik said. "It will also increase the computer and academic service functions."

The plan also includes building a Hall of Champions - a trophy room - one level above the arena floor on the top level, Kozachik said.

"The new entrance will be more welcoming to people," said UA spokeswoman Sharon Kha.

The construction will not have any effect on the sports programs, said Denise Ianello, women's basketball associate head coach. Even though the construction might cause noise in the long run, the training will continue, she said.

"The expansion of facilities will not only benefit the women's sports, but it will very much benefit all (athletic) programs," Ianello said.

She added the quality of the women's locker room was below the average compared to the others around the country. This construction will enlarge and improve the characteristics of the women's locker room.

"The construction will also affect recruiting, because it will be impressive to the eye," Ianello said. "The athletes are very excited about the expansion, also there will be more computers and tutors to help them," she added.

The construction at the McKale Center began first week of June and is scheduled to end September 2001. There won't be any street closure during the construction.

Ayse Guner can be reached at city@wildcat.arizona.edu.