Indiana Tech Unveils New Plans For Athletic Facilities
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana Tech in Fort Wayne is planning a new location for the softball and track and field complex originally proposed for Memorial Park. The university has entered into an "option-to-purchase" agreement to acquire the Donald Ross Golf Course, a portion of which would house the facilities.
Indiana Tech is currently assessing the back nine of the golf course for possible redevelopment, though a specific plan for the site has not been developed. The university says the 55-acre portion of the golf course would also allow space for the addition of future facilities as well.
“We’re excited about the possibilities created by repurposing the Donald Ross Golf Course, and look forward to completing our site assessment," Indiana Tech President Karl Einolf said in a news release. "It seems like both a great fit for the needs of our student-athletes, and a positive use of the property for the entire community.”
The front nine of the golf course would remain unchanged and Indiana Tech says it would be operated as a 9-hole course and would be open to the public. The Indiana Tech men’s and women’s golf teams could also use the course as a practice facility.
The university says it expects to complete the purchase of the golf course in the first quarter of 2018 with plans to begin construction on the new facilities that summer. The project would likely start with the construction of a softball stadium, which Indiana Tech says would allow for practices and games to begin during the spring of 2019.
The original proposal to locate the facilities at Memorial Park was pulled in May after the plan received backlash from residents. Financial details of the new plan were not disclosed, however Indiana Tech was slated to invest $6.4 million to build the facilities as part of the Memorial Park plan.