Terry Pegula – Houghton STAR

In the summer of 2012, Houghton College broke ground on phase one of the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex and now, over two years later, the third and final phase is just weeks away from completion.

Projected to have been completed several months ago, KPAC faced numerous setbacks resulting in the still unfinished facility. “It’s pretty complex. There were some original design issues early in the project that had to do with sinking the shop drawings,” explained Harold Lord, executive director of athletics. He added that, “The ultra cold winter delayed things further.”

KPA Apart from the extended process of creating shop drawings for the beams and structure of the facility, the most recent and most significant setback was in regards to the flooring of the facility. Originally set to begin in April, Beynon Sports Surfacing was unable to begin laying the flooring due to the delays that took place earlier on in the completion of the project. Then, as Dale Wright, Houghton’s chief business officer, explained, “The athletic flooring company was delayed in a job they were doing before they came to Houghton. Therefore, they were later than we would have liked once everything was ready for them.”

Lord said that that this week he expects a large bulk of the flooring to be completed. This includes the completed track and tennis surfaces ready to be lined. Wright added, “The athletic flooring is scheduled to be completed September 18th and the MVP deck should be finished within the next two weeks”

Despite these setbacks, key areas of the facility have been completed. Coaches and other faculty were able to move into their offices during the week of August 11th, in time for the beginning of preseason. The facilities training room was also up and running beginning August 18th.

Students, faculty, and community members are awaiting for the completion of KPAC and to be begin using the new gym. Houghton sophomore and member of the cross country and track and field teams, Joanna Friesen, expressed her anticipation for the facility saying, “I’m excited to have a legitimate place to do speed workouts in the winter, a place where it’s spacious and safe to practice. For my whole running career a good indoor facility has been two or more hours away, it’s unbelievable that we have one.” She went on to say, “The first day of indoor track practice will be a wonderful privilege, even if it’s a mile repeat day.”

Robert Pool, vice president of student life said, “I’m just excited because for this little place called Houghton, because of this Kerr-Pegula gift we have a facility that many division one schools would love to have. I hope that students feel blessed by this. To have two gyms on campus where they can pursue their wellness goals. It’s a blessing.”

Lord added, “If I was speaking for the coaches, it’s a little bit like Christmas. They’re all excited. It’s a beautiful facility, and it’s so much more convenient. It’s going to enhance recruiting, they’re thankful.”

The completion of KPAC will also bring a lot for students, faculty, and community members. A ribbon cutting ceremony will occur over homecoming and family weekend, October 3-5.

The Kerr-Pegula Athletics Complex project plans were officially drafted in 2011 after receiving a letter of intent for a twelve million dollar donation from millionaire Terry Pegula and his wife Kim (Kerr ‘91) Pegula. By mid-spring 2013, the initial plans were approved by the Board and a timeline set in place. While the timeline has since evolved to reflect weather and fundraising realities, the project has continued forward with due speed. A walk past Shenawana Hall reveals the amount of work that has been completed already, and foreshadows the magnitude of these developments. David Smith, vice president of finance, is assisting in the flow of information to students and community members on behalf of the administration.

Of most pressing importance is the matter of fundraising and supporting this large venture. “The fundraising for this project has reached over $15M including the $12M lead gift by Terry and Kim (Kerr ‘91) Pegula with an additional $3M given by hundreds of donors over the past 18 months,” said Smith, “Individuals, foundations and corporations with affinity, capacity, and demonstrated generosity have been identified and are actively being solicited for this project.”

While the long-term project costs total more than $25M, the Advancement and Finance Departments seem enthusiastic and optimistic about reaching their goals. In a summary statement concerning fundraising, Smith said that he expects “to reach the fundraising goal by December 2015, which includes additional major capital gifts and endowment gifts designated for upkeep of the facilities, and a range of gifts from hundreds of dedicated alumni and friends.”

Another lurking concern about the complex is if the recent drop in enrollment could affect the finishing or expanse of the project’s plans. When asked this question directly, Smith seemed optimistic. “The size of the facilities reflects many factors other than just enrollment, and all the factors, when included in the overall strategy, indicate our planning is still appropriate to our needs. For example, the size of this venue will be ideal for large multi-team track meets, concerts much larger than can be hosted currently, and other events that will promote Houghton College in our area/region.”

When asked a similar question, student government vice president and representative to the student athlete advisory committee, Andiana Sidell ‘14, also exuded positivity, “I definitely think that this project will have an impact on enrollment in the fall. Coaches and admissions have been using it as a recruiting tool. The presence of updated or new facilities is good for any type of program especially one that will impact the whole campus.”

Senator for athletics, Michael Bova ’15, also weighed in on the complex’s impact, saying, “I believe it will impact enrollment, especially if we have a multitude of future athletes coming to visit during the later portions of April or during May when the complex is nearing its final state. The complex adds grandeur to the Houghton campus, which is not something individuals expect when they look at the location of Houghton College–it adds to the “wow” factor, in essence.”

Smith holds hopes that the project will be completed very soon. “The overall project, including the fields and field house, is on schedule to be completed by mid-summer 2014 and the fundraising plan is on schedule to be completed by December 2015.”