Officials touted Coppin State University?s new $129 million Physical Education Complex as a state-of-the-art center that will benefit both the school and the community.
“This marks a major accomplishment for Coppin,” Sadie Gregory, Coppin State?s interim president, said at Wednesday?s groundbreaking ceremony.
Like the health and human services building, the PEC will be open to university students and West Baltimore residents.
“We want to improve Coppin and the west side of Baltimore ? that?s the purpose of our plan,” said Maqbool Patel, Coppin State?s associate vice president.
“It?s really an opportunity to expand the relationship between the university and the surrounding community,” Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown said.
The three-building PEC project expands the 52-acre campus by about a third, taking it from North Avenue to Gwynns Falls Avenue.
The complex will include a 4,100-seat basketball arena, an indoor NCAA-regulation pool with spectator seating, a fitness center, an auxiliary gymnasium, dance studios, racquetball courts and classrooms. An NCAA-regulation 400-meter track with spectator seating, a synthetic-turf soccer field, a natural-grass softball field and tennis courts will be outside the PEC.
“We?re grateful that incoming students will reap the benefits of this facility,” said Robert Wilson, president of Coppin?s student government.
Gilbane Inc. and Banks Contracting Co. will complete the project by fall 2009 and said the first phase of development will include 38 percent participation by minority businesses.
Coppin is also in the middle of construction of a $52 million health and human services building, and future plans call for a new science and technology center and a performing arts center.
