complex – Houghton STAR

If you have walked by the Kerr-Pegula Complex construction site in the past few days, you will have noticed a great deal of work has been done on the project in the past few months. Each day progress continues to be made from the finishing touches being put on the softball field, to the more major construction underway on the field house.

Less visible are the faces behind the project that include the contractors, architects, and construction workers from companies outside of Houghton who are working long hours in tandem to reach their goal: a completed and open-for-business athletic complex.

Harold Lord, executive director of athletics, explained that bi-weekly OACM (Owner, Architect, Construction Manager) meetings are held to keep everyone up to date on the project. Lord, who has been heavily involved in the complex during all of its stages, discussed the major progress in construction, ensuring a finished complex by this coming summer.

In addition to Lord’s involvement, Keystone Associates architect Kenneth Gay has served in the role of senior architect for the construction of the complex. In charge of the architecture, engineering, and surveying, his company has been there since the beginning stages which included meetings with the owner, selecting locations, and drawing up designs, and they will see the project through until the end.

For Gay, the Houghton community is no stranger, having his wife and daughters as both alumni and current Houghton students. During a phone interview Gay explained, “We’ve been coming to Houghton from 1983 to now, so for me to have a project at Houghton is neat; it’s a unique community.”

“In the end, Houghton is going to be proud, the donors are going to be proud, and I know that our office is going to be proud,” expressed Gay. “It’s a great project with so many elements that fit with our company.”

Mike Norton, owners’ representative from Pike Company, has also put in a lot of work on the complex. “I represent Houghton College in the project,” Norton explained. When describing his job, he explained he works as the representative of the complex. This means overseeing the site and making sure everything is being done as it is supposed to be. Apart from these responsibilities, he participates in numerous meetings discussing the complex, as well as supervising the pay schedules.

Growing up in Hornell, Norton is familiar with the area; as is Pike Company, a fifth generation, family business, located in Rochester, NY. When discussing the project with Norton he simply replied, “Every project is kind of exciting in its own little way because what it means to its owner.” “What I like about this business is when its done you can step back and say I was a part of that and it stays for many years,” said Norton.

Apart from the planning and supervising, LeChase Construction Company is responsible for the actual building of the complex. They are the general contractors, having numerous employees working long hours in often not-so-friendly weather conditions. Recently, LeChase workers have been busy putting up the steel, roofing and siding, and even beginning stages on the second floor. LeChase is also involved in the hiring of subcontractors for other work including things like electric and plumbing.

Other Houghton staff involved in the project includes Phyllis Gaerte and Jason Mucher, who aid in design; Robert Pool, vice president of student life; and Dale Wright, chief business officer.

“The Houghton team has been very focused on making sure that this building responded to a bunch of different needs and uses; not just athletics but campus wide and community wide,” said Gay. The field house will be a future home not only to athletic events, but also youth events, concerts, graduation, and many other things.

Due to the Kerr-Pegula donation and transition to NCAA division III, Houghton has seen Burke Field completed, the baseball and softball fields nearly done, and the ground-breaking of the field house thus far.

The baseball and softball fields have already been put to use as various teams have begun holding practice on the turf. Additionally, local baseball leagues have already played on the baseball field. While certain finishing touches still have to be made, such as the tower that will overlook the softball pitch and connect to the field house, the fields are now available for use.

Last year, the baseball and softball teams traveled everyday in order to practice on fields in Angelica and Cuba-Rushford, so the completion of the fields at Houghton is eagerly anticipated amongst the players. “We are excited to play on our new beautiful field that is in our own backyard,” said junior softball player Sarah Beirne.

Skip Lord, Executive Director of Athletics, on the subject of the new tower and connected field house, said that “When [the workers] have the main work done on the tower, probably by the middle of October, they will pour the foundations for the [field house] and the concrete slab…for support.”

Jason Mucher, Director of Compliance and Communications, added to this and said that “This building is already pre-[fabricated], all the pieces and components of it are being put together now and designed in the factory. [The construction workers] will bring it here on trucks and connect it sort of like tinker toys.” Speaking to the construction process itself, Lord said that “they are going to put it together in sections, so it will unfold kind of like an accordion.”

Sections of the outdoor structure of the field house should be completed by the time cold weather comes, so that the construction workers can shift their focus to the inside of the field house throughout the winter and spring. Communication between on-site workers and the contractor is frequent and clear, allowing construction plans are adapted as needed to fit the layout of the worksite. Once a solid foundation has been finished, the workers will be able to move out of the ground, and the remainder of the work needed should be more predictable.

In addition to a 200 meter, 8 lane track, jumping pits, tennis courts, and bleachers seating 800-1000 people, the complex will have offices, locker rooms, VIP conference room, fitness center, weight room, training room, kitchen, and concessions stand. While fitting all of these components into one complex does pose challenges, the plans have been drawn up so that all the components fit together accordingly.

The new complex will be multi-functional and while it will directly cater to the athletic teams, students may make use of the fitness center, weight room, courts, etc. The field house itself will be accessible to the entire student body, allowing the intramural program to expand as well as creating more classrooms for the recreation and physical education departments. Lord and Mucher have both explored possible functions and events for the field house once it is completed.

“It is a big community convention center where you can have concerts, speakers, commencement, flea markets. Or those types of thing that require a lot of open space. It has accessibility and food preparation capability,” said Mucher, “So we can hold anything that requires a large area within this region that does not necessarily have anything to do with athletics. It is a service to the region.”

Following the completion of the field house, there are plans to do more renovations to the Nielsen Center. The movement of a number of offices to the new complex will give Nielsen significantly more space. The volleyball team and both basketball teams would have the opportunity to have their own respective team locker rooms. However, this is more of a long-term goal, and would not be put into action until the college has the appropriate funds.

Regarding the completion date of the field house, Lord said, “These things always get pushed around a little bit, but right now it is supposed to be done May 23rd.”