Ohio State Univ. VP & AD Gene Smith recently said that there are "three major athletic facilities projects in the works" at a total cost of more than $67M, and the school's recent athletic success "has helped fuel the fundraising for the buildings," according to Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. One of those projects is "expected to be fast-tracked and hasn't been previously detailed, but it's a key to bringing most of Ohio State's 1,000 varsity athletes into the same area" by attaching a new $30M home for Olympic sports to the football HQ at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Smith said that OSU has raised more than $20M "for this student-athlete development center and hopes to have the fundraising done" by the end of '15 and then break ground in '16. Lesmerises notes the projects are "part of a long-range plan" detailed in '13 to "center athletic facilities in a village on the west side of Olentangy River Road." The other two new buildings to be part of that area include the $30M Covelli Arena, which "will host events for several sports, including wrestling, volleyball and gymnastics." Smith said that the fundraising for that building "is also above" the $20M mark. Also in the works is a "new training home" for the wrestling team at a cost of $7.5M. Smith said that about $2M "has been raised for that project." Lesmerises notes the student-athlete development center "will change the basics of how Olympic sports function." The new building, attached to the football HQ, will "put about 800 of the 1,000 OSU athletes in the same home." There will be a "separate 20,000-square foot weight room for the Olympics sports apart from football, a 6,000-square foot training area and a cafeteria" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 8/4).
