Renderings of the University of Utah’s Basketball Training Center Released, Fundraising to Begin

The University of Utah has released renderings of the new, 80,000 square foot, $24 million basketball training center and commenced fundraising for the project. The University selected Populous as the architect of record for the new training facility and Elliott Workgroup, a Park City-based firm, as the associate architect in June. In addition to the basketball training center, Populous is currently working on a strategic facilities master plan for the University’s athletic, recreation and college of health facilities.

“The new basketball training center on the University of Utah’s campus will provide coaches, staff and student-athletes with a building that allows for a more well-rounded experience and can aid in recruiting the nation’s top talent not just in basketball but in all Olympic sports as well,” said Jeremy Krug, Associate at Populous and Project Designer. “This facility will serve as a centralized home base for the men’s and women’s basketball teams as well as provide upgrades and new support facilities for the Olympic sport programs by way of athletic training, strength training and equipment.  The facility will build a foundation for a great experience for student-athletes to train, learn and better themselves. We’re looking forward to designing a facility that incorporates the history of the basketball programs at the University of Utah and reflects the unique needs – both academically and athletically- of the teams who will use the space.”

The new basketball training center will be located adjacent to the Jon M. Huntsman Center and provide an efficient experience for basketball student-athletes. The facility will serve 17 teams, featuring two practice gymnasiums, locker rooms, training facilities, strength and conditioning, a video theater and athletes’ lounge space, among other amenities. It will also include conference rooms and office space for coaches and staff.

“The addition of a basketball training center to our campus is essential to the continued success of our basketball programs,” said Chris Hill, Athletics Director at the University of Utah. “When the new facility opens in 2015, it will provide our athletes and staff with access to state-of-the-art amenities that will allow us to be at the forefront of the Pac-12 Conference and nationally, enticing recruits and ensuring the academic and athletic success of our student-athletes.”

Design is expected to be completed by spring of 2014, with construction beginning immediately after and the facility opening in the fall of 2015.

With offices around the globe, Populous is a global architecture firm that specializes in arenas, stadiums, ballparks and convention centers. The firm has completed work for more than 130 colleges and universities on projects including football stadiums, arenas, ballparks, training facilities and athletic master plans, like the one currently underway for the University of Utah.

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