Although the official ground-breaking ceremony for the new $10 million UA Adopted Athletics Facility is not scheduled to take place until Feb. 23, preliminary construction has already started on the new cutting-edge facility.
The two-story building is being constructed along the south end of the UA Rec Center, to the east of the building’s main entrance. The entrance to the UA Rec Center parking lot closest to the south side of the building has been blocked off due to the construction.
UA System Board of Trustees approved the building of the state-of-the-art facility on Feb. 5, 2016. The 27,036 square-foot facility will contain a game venue for wheelchair basketball, featuring a regulation-size basketball court with grandstand seating, a lobby and concourse. Locker rooms, team meeting rooms, coaches’ offices, study halls and a workout room with specialized adaptive equipment will also be included in the facility.
“I’m delighted for our student-athletes in Adapted Athletics to have a facility that will meet all of their needs and help them continue the successes they’ve had,” University of Alabama President Stuart Bell said in a release. “This facility will also help increase access for students with disabilities to enjoy sports and recreation at a noncompetitive level.”
Evan Enquist, head coach of wheelchair tennis and a graduate student studying exercise physiology, said the Adapted Athletics facility is unprecedented and unparalleled.
“There’s not another facility in the country that’s going to be like this,” Enquist said. “These types of facilities exist more on the professional level. It’s pretty cool. Hopefully it’s a template that other Universities will follow.”
Enquist said he thinks the new facility proves University administration is fully committed to supporting UA Adapted Athletics, a program that has seen great success since it was introduced in 2003. The program has claimed seven national championships overall, five in wheelchair basketball and two in wheelchair tennis.
“I just think it’s going to be a huge advantage for the athletes and the University,” Enquist said. “As far as recruiting goes in the future, the facility sends a statement that the University stands behind Adapted Athletics.”
The facility is scheduled to be completed in roughly 17 months.
An approval request and agreement for water service to the UA Adapted Facility as well as a granting permit for the University to construct water lines for the facility are on the agenda for the Tuscaloosa City Council tonight.
