The College has asked that the two firms selected last fall to collaborate on the construction of a new hockey arena wait until fundraising can catch up to the plans for the arena. A conceptual design has been drawn for the new site, but since its completion, Bowdoin has put development on hold.
Plans for a new hockey arena have been four years in the making, with nine rink architects initially considered for the job and two firms ultimately selected for the job.
"If things go as well as they have this last month, we can hope for construction beginning sometime within the 2006-2007 academic year," Vice President for Planning and Institutional Advancement Scott Meiklejohn said.
One of the firms, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), is one that has worked with Bowdoin in the past.
The second firm chosen by the college is Bear Mountain Design. The architect, Harold Mayhew, has constructed a number of rinks in the past.
"Mayhew is strong on refrigeration and operation," Meiklejohn said, "and SOM will bring an understanding of the overall campus."
The budget for this endeavor is $15 million. The money comes from gifts donated by alumni, graduated hockey players, parents, and organizations.
"We have seen a lot of activity after a number of slow months." Meiklejohn said. There are no exact numbers yet, but there is movement in a positive direction.
At the moment, Dayton Arena is still functional, but it is only a matter of time before the facility begins to break down, according to Meiklejohn.
"There are problems at the Dayton site that can't be fixed. There isn't room for much expansion, and parking is scarce," he said.
The latter is a difficulty during the winter season when the campus draws a large number of people eager to see the hockey teams in action.
The new location of the arena will be near the Farley Field House. Building the arena next to the field house will create a sense of unity, since all athletic facilities will be located in the same general area. Also, there is more parking at the site of construction than there is at the rink's current location.
In addition to remedying the problems presented by the current arena, the new facilities will provide more options for students on campus. There is more space at the new site, which will allow both varsity teams as well as other groups greater access to the ice.
Within the next three years, Dayton Arena will no longer exist. The space that Dayton now fills will be used for additional parking in the short term. Once the construction of the concert hall in the Curtis Pool building is complete, parking will be in higher demand, and the Dayton site might alleviate this problem.