This story was originally published in print on Oct. 18, 2018.
Anticipation for the new intramural center has been rising as students await the new space to play, compete and use for future events. The 120-by-120-foot structure will be larger than the floor in Chase Gymnasium, big enough for two basketball courts or three volleyball courts at a time.
The cost for the building is still being finalized but is estimated to be a little over $2 million. Funding is coming from an anonymous donation for up to the $2 million mark, and the remaining funding source is still unknown.
Senior director of facilities management Brian Phillips highlighted some of the features of the building, including an air conditioning system. The structure will be versatile, with its uses going beyond intramural games.
“It’ll have a really high quality sports floor inside of it, and we’re going to try and outfit it with AV equipment like projectors and screens and audio equipment so that we can put a conference there or a banquet there. We really want to get a lot of use out of it,” Phillips said.
The project has taken more time than anticipated to begin due to the funding issues and working with the city of La Mirada. The building was not initially approved by the city because it was not included on Biola’s master plan.
“We didn’t have entitlement to build it. And they’ve since indicated that they may be willing to approve it,” Phillips said.
The master plan originally had a convocation center on this location but because the new intramural center will be less impactful than that structure the building has been “informally approved by the city. Construction is expected to start in the spring to be completed by summer of 2019.
The Intramural Center will be constructed in what is currently parking lot E. Despite previous concerns, the Music and Worship building, which was refurbished last summer, will not be impacted at all by this addition. All of the windows were changed to make the building more sound-proof and a few other interior and exterior improvements were made. Phillips also said the building may be given another facelift as a part of the larger project of the Intramural Center.
