New courts to be built next to Gateway apartments

Construction on a new basketball court and sand volleyball court next to the Gateway Village Apartments will start any day now as a part of efforts made by the Richmond College Student Government Association and the Office of Recreation and Wellness.

The courts, as well as a number of picnic tables and grills, will be added in the available space on the edge of the intramural fields, said Tom Roberts, assistant vice president of recreation and wellness. The idea for the courts was included in the 2011 Campus Master Plan and funding was included in that plan, Roberts said.

“Our hope is that this will create a small recreational park near student housing and provide students an outdoor place to socialize,” Roberts said.

The new basketball and sand volleyball courts will also be lighted, Roberts said.

Roberts approached RCSGA to share plans for the area around Gateway and to hear any concerns or suggestions from members, said Brad Groves, RCSGA president and Richmond College '15.

“I think that the plans sound great. One concern that we heard early this year when students first started moving into Gateway Village was that there were no options to barbecue and relatively little outdoor recreation space. This plan will resolve those issues and really create a nice area for students to enjoy outside,” Groves said.

Many students who live in the Gateway Village and the University Forest apartments are excited to take advantage of this new area.

“I think it sounds like a really cool idea that will create more of a community environment around the Gateway and University Forest Apartments,” said Corina Benitz, Westhampton College ’15 and Gateway resident. “It will also definitely create a draw for underclassmen who may have not originally spent time on that area of campus."

Construction will begin as soon as permits are approved. The facilities are expected to be completed and available for use in early spring 2015, Roberts said.

Contact reporter Juliana Sorrentino at juliana.sorrentino@richmond.edu