News

Earth-moving equipment is in full swing these days at Martin Methodist College’s 44-acre tract on East College Street, as the East Campus Athletic Complex begins to take shape.

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on Thursday, Aug. 25, that included college administrators, representatives of PBG Builders of Nashville and Tycon Excavating of Pulaski, coaches for soccer, baseball and softball, and a senior student-athlete from each of those teams.

The project has been highly anticipated for several years, since the varsity soccer field first opened for play on the property nine years ago. This phase of the $3.5 million project will include a baseball field, softball field, intramural field, a 12,000-foot indoor practice facility with coaches’ offices, two dressing rooms and a sports medicine room. There will be paved parking for all game fields, plus a new concession building, restroom and press box for the existing soccer field.

In addition, the East Campus will feature four walking trails (one-fifth mile, one-half mile and one-mile exercise tracts, plus a quarter-mile nature trail), all connected to a two-acre lake.

The work is targeted to be completed by Aug. 1, 2012.

“We’re very excited to begin the final excavation phase of our East Campus Athletic Complex,” said Jeff Bain, director of athletics. “The values of patience and persistence have  been extremely beneficial over the last 14 years as funding challenges and institutional priorities have evolved.

“An untold amount of man-hours of planning, designs, and execution have gone into this project since 1997, when the 44 acres were originally purchased. But now as the project unfolds, the long wait and preparation time is now well worth the wait. We have used this extra time as a benefit to help perfect our plans while confirming our priorities and isolating our needs.”