Doyle Hall slated for finish in 2010

Construction of Doyle Hall, a new athletics building at Norwich University, began in September of 2009 and is expected to improve the overall sports experience at the school, according to a Norwich University administrator.

Doyle Hall is going to connect Kreitzberg Arena to Andrews Hall and, according to Dave Magida, Norwich's chief administration officer, is going to feature a new Hall of Fame lobby as the main entrance.

"It will provide space for concessions, bathroom facilities, a ticket booth, and it will make the whole area much more user friendly," Magida said.

Doyle Hall will also include additional offices for a growing athletic department, more locker room space and several meeting rooms.

The $8 million project is to be completed by fall of 2010, according to Brad Mckay, director of construction services.

The construction is supposed to be finished before the winter sports season of 2010-11 begins, according to Magida

"Doyle Hall is a part of the Capital Campaign," Magida said. "It is also a part of the facilities master plan."

The Capital Campaign is the same fund-raising campaign that raised funds to build the Wise Campus Center and the Sullivan Museum. All the funds to build these projects were donated to the university, mostly by alumni.

The facilities master plan contains the vision of how the Norwich campus will look in years to come, according to Magida. It is updated periodically.

"Doyle Hall will be the grand lobby between Andrews Hall and Kreitzberg Arena," Mckay said.

By joining the two buildings, Doyle Hall will provide much needed space by coaches and players.

There has been a growing popularity in woman's sports and an increasing need for space for players and coaches alike, according to Magida.

"We need a locker room for the woman's sports teams." Mckay said. "We need more area for the coaches and staff."

It was always the intent of the school to build a connection between the hockey arena and Andrews Hall, according to Magida.

"Because there has been a lot of growth in woman's sports, we have had to add locker room space," Magida said, "and some office space for the additional coaches."

This growth of the athletic department offers more opportunities for the students of Norwich to participate in collegiate level sports.

In the construction process, Norwich is attempting to use materials and building designs that will have a smaller negative impact on the environment.

Norwich is also making strides to become a more environmentally friendly campus as well as to support local businesses, according to Magida.

"We try to use materials that are easy to maintain and have a long life," Magida said. "We also design the buildings to be extremely energy efficient."

The environmental impact of a project is reduced if the materials can be obtained locally, Magida said.

"There is less transportation, which is less impact on the environment," Magida said. "Norwich believes strongly that we need to be a good corporate neighbor."