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Work gets started on YSU’s WATTS Center

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IAA Fan:
I understand that they had a planned campus map at that meeting, held on November 15. They are charting out road changes. The primary focus was safety, but I wish I would have been able to see that map. I suspect there are a couple of buildings on there that I would be interested in.

TheBearMay:
New pics up at: http://www.ysusports.com/information/facilities/images/WATTS/WATTS_photo_gallery_12-8-10

IAA Fan:
By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

In late October, Matt Morrone heard rumors of an impending thunderstorm — complete with 70-mile per hour winds — and was struck by visions of his $10 million baby, the Watson and Tressel Training Site, suffering some costly growing pains.

“At the time, we only had one side of the roof up,” said Morrone, YSU’s athletic business manager. “I was worried it was going to act as a big sail.

“Fortunately, we didn’t get the wind we were supposed to get.”

Mother Nature hasn’t been so cooperative this month.

Thanks to snowy weather and construction delays, YSU has pushed back the planned opening of the WATTS from late December to mid-February.

“Our winter came a little sooner than everybody anticipated,” he said. “We were scrambling to get some things done that needed to get done before the storm hit. The next few weeks will be key in helping us get caught up.

“It’s going to be a challenge.”

University officials had hoped the facility would be done by the end of 2010, in time for the crucial January football recruiting period. The 125,000-square foot building will have a football field, a track, batting cages, training rooms and offices.

YSU will be the first school in the Horizon League with an indoor facility and the Penguins were planning to host the conference indoor track and field championships on Feb. 26-27. But that meet has been moved to Geneva, Ohio.

“We’d still love to host it, but realistically, we’re not sure we can do it,” said Morrone, who secured Geneva’s indoor facility months ago just in case there were construction delays on the WATTS.

Morrone said the facility is well past the halfway point, with the roof “99 percent done” and the in-floor heating system completely installed.

“That was a huge hurdle to get over, considering the complexity of the system,” Morrone said.

The facility should be 99 percent complete in mid-February, Morrone said. The school may still need to finish some landscaping projects and some exterior finishes, but “we should be able to do everything we want to do inside there.”

Potential recruits should be able to tour the building in January.

“Even where it’s at right now, people can come in and at least see the layout,” Morrone said. “That way, they can kind of get that ‘wow factor,’ which is a huge plus.”

ysuguins4:
Fan,

What have your contacts in the athletic department heard about this facility?  It now appears that it won't be usable until at least April.

IAA Fan:

--- Quote from: ysuguins4 on February 02, 2011, 12:29:48 PM ---Fan,

What have your contacts in the athletic department heard about this facility?  It now appears that it won't be usable until at least April.

--- End quote ---

I will see what I can find. Last I heard, the goal was to open by spring ball.

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