New weight room to be a multiple-story addition connecting Schembechler Hall and the Ooosterbaan practice facilities

Submitted by Maizen on

Anyone know how they are finding the space for this given the close proximity and connectedness of all the buildings? Thrilled that UM is finally updating the weight room (long overdue) but a little disappointed Oosterbaan isn't coming down. Place is ugly. Wonder if they plan on touching anything else inside Schembechler during this renovation in terms of player lounges, meeting rooms, hyrdotherapy and training areas, and the dated ramps that get you from the first to the second floor.

https://michigan.rivals.com/news/michigan-football-warde-manuel-on-new-weight-room-night-games-more

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel touched on a number of issues in his sit-down with the media Aug. 23. One of the topics – a proposed new weight room in Schembechler Hall.

Sources have told TheWolverine.com it will be a multiple-story addition connecting Schembechler Hall and the Ooosterbaan practice facilities.

“We should get some more refined cost estimates by the end of this month, which would be sometime next week … if not, the following week,” Manuel said. “We’ll get drawings and be able to know exactly what costs are, where we are, where we need to be from a development standpoint and fundraising. They’re working diligently, the architects, on getting that.”

They could start working on that as soon as spring, he added.

“[That’s] probable depending on the cost. I think that’s the earliest it would be to start to put things in motion … next spring,” Manuel said. “As part of this project, the Oosterbaan roof needs to be replaced. Weather conditions, obviously, would not let us get started until spring … how it ties into the roof, all those things, and the building itself, we just need to figure that out.”

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Maizen

August 23rd, 2016 at 4:38 PM ^

IMO it would have been easier if they would have just tore the whole thing down and built a new facility. But Brandon had to go ahead and build that museum when he could have just waited a few more years to get the the funding in order to a proper reno instead of just a facelift.

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TIMMMAAY

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:17 PM ^

They designed the new buildings to "blend" with the existing architecture, which includes Oosterbaan. You don't have to knock down all of the old buildings and have everything shiny new, sometimes it's best to preserve some things from the past.

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Maizen

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:27 PM ^

"They designed the new buildings to "blend" with the existing architecture"

The existing BRICK architecure on campus. Not Oosterbaan. It sticks out like a sore thumb. This doesn't need to be debated. It's a fact. 

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Wolverine Devotee

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:24 PM ^

"A dump"........have you even been inside Oosterbaan before? It's a field house for non-football teams to practice. 

Most schools have to play not first fiddle to football in terms of practice time. 

It is what it is. An operating facility that will be fixed up. Just because it doesn't look like something from the 21st century (built in 1970) doesn't mean it's "a dump". 

Buying MORE land, and building an unncessary facility that is away from over half the teams that will use it is a non-starter. It makes no sense. 

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Wolverine Devotee

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:33 PM ^

Stop for a minute and think about that. An indoor facility should be torn down because it looks bad outside.

So..........we should just fix it up outside like Warde is doing? Basically that's the solution to your post right there.

It works, looks like a field house inside. Recruits for other sports (which are the ones that will actually be inside Oosterbaan) will be thrilled they don't have to share a building with football like they do it at 99% of other schools. 

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Maizen

August 23rd, 2016 at 7:37 PM ^

Were you not here for the Schembechler Hall or Crisler Arena renovations? Because that's exactly what happened in both those cases. Having an architecturally sound, uniform, and consistent athletic campus should be a priority, yes.

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growler4

August 23rd, 2016 at 10:45 PM ^

Well, you are certainly entitled to your opinion given the appearance of that or any other structure on the athletic campus. 

Yet, you are advocating a far more costly "solution" to what you preceive to be an asthetic problem.

Just curious: Are you a donor to the Michigan Athletic Department? Or is cost not an issue to you when spending other peoples' money?

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Mr. Elbel

August 24th, 2016 at 12:18 AM ^

we already are leaders and best in one of them. In many of them, really. we don't have to get greedy to be where we already are. we have a history of winning across many sports that most other schools don't. stop being ridiculous. stop trying to act like our football team is suddenly not the winningest, most conference wins, top 10 nat. championships playing in the biggest and best stadium in the world team that it is.

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Maizen

August 23rd, 2016 at 4:40 PM ^

And to that I say good. This is the one area hardly any schools can compete with Michigan. When your state doesn't have the amount of blue chip players like Florida, Georgia, California, Ohio, etc do you build the biggest and best facilities to attract them.

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mrwolv3rin3

August 23rd, 2016 at 6:31 PM ^

I'm sure there are plenty of J. Ira & Nicki Harris folks out there who want their name on the new weight room. If Dave Brandon was still in charge, I bet he would already have shovels in the ground for this project. It's really not that hard to be a fund raiser at Michigan. I'm actually glad Warde is taking his time to get it right. 

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kevin holt

August 23rd, 2016 at 4:40 PM ^

Where's the mini golf course go? Full 18 holes or more, none of this amateur Clemson stuff. Oh wait, I guess "amateur" is the exact opposite of Clemson, my bad.

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Wolverine Devotee

August 23rd, 2016 at 4:55 PM ^

You aren't. That place is more important to other sports than Football. Football has its indoor facility.

Baseball and Softball especially need that place as their seasons begin in February, so where do you think they're practicing at?

There's nowhere else to build a new one nearby. The Edwards Bros. site that was purchased is where the Lax stadium/performance center/rowing facility/Track stadiums will be.

A roof replacement is the least they could give the place. Get a new Block M to put on the side, too given the old one mysteriously (fell off?) disappeared some time ago. 

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