UVM sports complex arena still on hold; wellness center open

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A year after a new basketball arena was to have opened at the University of Vermont, the project remains indefinitely on hold. It was sidelined by the pandemic and is now hampered by rising borrowing costs. But other parts of that project have been completed.

Groundbreaking for that arena happened back in 2019, but the uncertainty of the pandemic changed the project timelines.

However, thanks to a resequencing of the project, students now have new areas to take classes and recreate.

“We’re going to our yoga class right now, so it’s in one of these new studios. It has air conditioning, it’s really cool,” said Abbey Hertz, a UVM sophomore.

Students this year have access to more than 30 classes and even a cycling studio in a new recreation and group fitness hub along with a multi-activity court, which can host five different sports.

UVM has quadrupled the amount of dedicated student fitness and recreation spaces with the $67 million they have spent.

“The UVM students are very active, they care about health and wellness, and that was the goal of this space was to provide them with facilities that align with their passion and interest and concern for their health,” UVM Athletic Director Jeff Schulman said.

Back in 2018, UVM donors from the Tarrant family pledged $15 million to go toward this project which was to include a new basketball arena and upgrades of the hockey arena for varsity athletes and fans.

The project was paused in 2020 for the pandemic and resumed in 2021, but the board of trustees retooled it so the student rec facilities would be constructed first.

They have completed major upgrades to the men’s and women’s hockey locker rooms, along with infrastructure upgrades such as HVAC systems. However, there is still no set timeline for the basketball arena.

“Our varsity athletes care about the facilities that they are practicing in and competing in, so there’s no question that having quality facilities is an important part of recruitment for the university. And it’s one of the reasons the university is so invested in seeing this project through,” Schulman said.

Now, two and a half years later, the project is up against soaring financing and construction costs, and school officials could not provide an estimate of how much more it will cost to complete it.

Schulman says the board of trustees and the university are working with a consultant to find those answers, which might include a redesign of the arena. But Schulman has faith it will be built.

“I have a lot of confidence that our board and the university leadership are committed to seeing the goals of this project achieved. And it may feel different than what we envisioned from the start, but I’m confident we will achieve the goals we set out to achieve at the beginning,” he said.

Students at UVM on Wednesday said they are excited about the future of a new basketball court and upgraded hockey amenities and are enjoying their new recreation upgrades as well.

“It’s nice to have a nice gym, nice basketball place, nice track, it’s pretty good though,” student Surha Joshi said.

“Physical activity is really important for mental and physical health, obviously, and just having more options open to students is really important and really inclusive to have those safe spaces open for everyone,” said Catherine Hann, a sophomore.

Students also told me they think a brand new basketball court will even increase morale at the university.

But it’s up to the board to decide how they will continue with the project and see what design fits best into the future of this athletic campus.

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UVM to resume work on recreation and wellness area

Work to resume on UVM arena project, Tarrant Center construction delayed

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