UTSA breaks ground April 10 on Park West athletics complex near Main Campus

Top photo: UTSA Athletics Director Lynn Hickey and President Ricardo Romo
MIddle photo: From left are Xavier Johnson (Student Government Association president), Marjie French (vice president for university advancement), President Ricardo Romo, Gage E. Paine (vice president for student affairs), Provost John Frederick and Kerry Kennedy (vice president for business affairs).
Bottom photo: UTSA student-athletes with President Ricardo Romo (Photos: Mark McClendon)

By Omar Hernandez
Social Media Coordinator, Office of University Communications

(April 11, 2012) -- The University of Texas at San Antonio hosted a groundbreaking ceremony April 10 for the Park West Athletics Complex. The complex will be on a portion of the 125-acre tract approximately two miles west of the UTSA Main Campus, and is slated to include a track and field, soccer field, paved parking and related infrastructure.

UTSA President Ricardo Romo, Assistant Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lynn Hickey, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, County Commissioner Kevin Wolff, San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro and City Councilman Reed Williams attended the ceremony featuring the UTSA Marching Band and UTSA student-athletes.

Construction of the complex will be completed in multiple phases. With an expected completion date of 2013, phase I will include a 1,000-seat soccer stadium, 1,000-seat track and field stadium, 500-space parking lot, roadways, and a retention basin and related infrastructure. The facilities will be used for public events and will serve as home base for the UTSA sports teams. Future development of the complex will include tennis, softball and baseball facilities, fan amenities, meeting and hospitality rooms, and expansion to existing facilities.

"The new athletics complex will be a top-notch collegiate facility capable of hosting national and international tourist-destination events," said Romo. "This project is another example of how UTSA is transforming into a Tier One university, growth that we expect to positively impact San Antonio so it remains competitive globally as a place where people want to visit, invest and do business."

In 2008, Bexar County voters approved a venue tax referendum that included $15 million to help fund the construction of the athletics complex. UTSA officials say a total of $22.1 million in combined bond monies from Bexar County and the City of San Antonio will be used to construct the initial phase of the Park West project.

"UTSA continues to grow by leaps and bounds both academically and in athletics, so we are happy to contribute voter-approved funds for construction of the Park West athletics complex," said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. "When our youth and young adults have access to more athletic offerings, we are ensuring that they grow to become physically and mentally strong adults."

The complex will be designed by HKS Sports & Entertainment Group with support from San Antonio-based Overland Partners Architects. Bartlett Cocke General Contractors will be the construction manager.