The highly anticipated East Campus Athletic Village, one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken on campus, is preparing to break ground in August.
With the final Environmental Impact Statement completed, RPI is waiting for the Troy Planning Board to accept it—which, according to project manager of ECAV Barbara Nelson, is expected to occur this Thursday. The EIS identifies potential problems as a result of the construction and addresses many of the concerns that Troy residents and businesses had raised at previous planning meetings.
Many of the concerns centered on the lighting, noise, parking, and traffic that would emerge as a result of ECAV’s construction. “We’re not really adding lighting, but just replacing the existing lighting structures,” Nelson explained. Completely new lighting on Harkness Field is expected to be installed this August with upgrades to the Lower Renwyck Field lighting to follow in the fall.
To manage the traffic and parking situations, RPI will cap the total number of spectators allowed at all events at any one time to 5,200, which is the current capacity of the Houston Field House. Previous plans to construct hundreds of extra parking spaces have mostly been scrapped. It is believed that most of the people going to different events will be walking either from campus or the Troy area; therefore, RPI has decided that it will instead improve sidewalks, add pedestrian crossings, and utilize its shuttle system. Nelson admitted, “We don’t want to shoot ourselves in the foot. It is ultimately important that everyone have a seamless experience when they attend an event.” The potential for overcrowding and traffic congestion led to this decision.
In regards to the noise increase, Nelson doesn’t expect this to happen. The intramural and club team games and practices, which run late at night, draw considerably smaller crowds and shouldn’t be a significant disturbance.
Furthermore, the creation of a committee to address concerns and to collaborate on events in the future is an option currently on the table. Members from Troy Police and Fire Departments, Samaritan Hospital, Russell Sage College, RPI, and other organizations could meet to ensure that important event dates don’t conflict with each other.
The construction of ECAV and EMPAC, along with the recent accolades for the Institute, has been among the reasons many students made the decision to attend Rensselaer. Freshman Justin Persin, who will be playing guard and forward for RPI’s men’s basketball team said he’s excited to have the opportunity to play in this top-notch facility. “The new athletic facilities were a part of my decision because it shows how the school really cares about its students. Also, it shows that RPI is trying to be great not only in hockey, but in other sports as well,” Persin noted.
Phase I of construction will include new basketball courts, an artificial turf field, and renovations to the Field House. Phase II will add a new natatorium (an Olympic-sized swimming pool), indoor track, another artificial turf field, and indoor tennis courts.
Although construction will hopefully already be well underway, the ceremonial groundbreaking is set for 10 am on Sunday, August 26, outside of the Houston Field House. A tailgate celebration will follow.
