New Notre Dame boathouse planned near Howard Park
by shillelagh (2015-02-17 10:08:39)

SOUTH BEND — The University of Notre Dame is planning to build a new $4 million boathouse for the men’s and women’s rowing teams on park land east of downtown. Documents on file with the Building Department show a two-story, Cape Cod-style structure at Viewing Park, a few blocks south of Howard Park along the St. Joseph River.

The 15,000-square-foot building will feature large picture windows on the main level, facing the river, with multiple storage bays on the lower, or basement level. The lower level will have walk-out access to the water and a new floating pier.

“The addition of a new Notre Dame boathouse has been on our facility wish list for some time,” Missy Conboy, senior deputy athletics director for the university, said in a statement Monday. She added, “Our hope has been to add a first-class collegiate facility to enhance a women’s varsity program that has established itself nationally, last year finishing ninth at the NCAA Championship, as well as a club team that boasts a half-century of history at the university.”

The new boathouse will sit just south of the current boathouse, a low, 2,600-square-foot building erected for a mere $35,000 in 1983.

The South Bend Scullers, who also practice at Viewing Park, will move into the old boathouse once the new one is finished, Parks Director Phil St. Clair said. The Scullers’ current boathouse, a small metal structure, will be torn down, he said.

Drawings show an optional restroom/fuel-storage building on the north side of the new boathouse, about where the Scullers building now sits.
The Parks Department, which owns the land, has filed a petition with the Area Board of Zoning Appeals seeking a number of variances for the project.

Notably, the university would like to exceed the size and height limits for the 3.2-acre property, currently 8,000 square feet and 40 feet, respectively.

The new building would be 41 feet tall at its highest point.
St. Clair stressed that while the Parks Department is necessarily involved in the zoning process, it has no financial stake in the project. “We’re not involved financially,” he said. “We’ll work with the university through the construction process just to make sure the agreements with the parks board are met.” He added that the department is “very supportive of the project, and we do think it will be a wonderful asset to the park and along the river.”

Pending approval of the project, the university plans to break ground on the boathouse this spring, Conboy, the senior deputy athletics director, said, with a completion date of November.

The Notre Dame men’s and women’s rowing clubs have been around for more than 40 years. The women’s team earned varsity status in 1997 and competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference.


$4M in 2015 after $35K in 1983? Hokie smokes, Batman. *
by G.K.Chesterton  (2015-02-17 14:00:56)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Built for a club sport
by fontoknow  (2015-02-19 10:58:57)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Easily the worst Facility amongst ND varsity sports.


Yep - no shower, Portajon or bike rack
by saltwaterfarm  (2015-02-19 12:39:35)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

as I recall.


The current structure is little more than a large shed. *
by shillelagh  (2015-02-19 13:54:15)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Increasing from 2,600 sq ft to 15,000 sq ft. Wow *
by dinger9927  (2015-02-18 11:33:52)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post