“They’re really going to enhance what we do here, not only with Parkside athletics, but for a number of users at the university, as well as the community. To be able to make progress, despite not only the challenges we faced, but what most of us faced over the course of the year-plus (because of the pandemic), is something we’re proud of. We don’t take it for granted, and certainly a lot of people have helped us make that progress.”
Coming along
Gavin said work inside the Olsen and Kilps centers is at about the 85{066dbc63777e5ed549f406789d72fdeebd77a32711d57f7b38ff2b35c4ba2a42} mark, while the heavy lifting has just begun inside the De Simone, which he said is about 15-20{066dbc63777e5ed549f406789d72fdeebd77a32711d57f7b38ff2b35c4ba2a42} completed.
Within the Olsen Center are two golf simulators that are installed and fully functional and an up-and-running 10-by-20 putting green, and the entire space has had turf installed. All that’s left, Gavin said, are some of the finishing touches, including netting, a clubhouse with lockers and club storage and some branding and donor work.
UW-Parkside Athletic Director Andrew Gavin and other staff members led a guided VIP tour Monday, May 24, 2021, of all the work that’s ongoing as part of the university’s RangerVision 2020, a $5 million campaign for the Sports and Activity Center that includes the construction of two new facilities, along with major enhancements inside the De Simone Gymnasium.
Inside the Kilps Center, Gavin said all the turf and most of the padding has been installed, along with the netting and batting cages, which — like the golf facility — leaves just a few “loose ends,” he said.
And, as far as the De Simone? The bleachers that date back more than four decades already are a thing of the past, with the remaining upgrades that include two VIP spaces, two video boards and an LED scorer’s table still on the horizon.