Now well into the first phase of a comprehensive renovation and expansion, Payne Whitney Gymnasium is undergoing changes that will "improve many of the gym's existing facilities and also create much-needed new recreational space," says Tom Beckett, director of athletics.
Construction of a new addition to the gym, the Colonel Lanman Center, is a major part of Phase I renovations, Mr. Beckett says. He adds that the facility, which is named after a primary benefactor of the University, will increase both the quantity and quality of recreational sports offerings at Yale.
"We are extremely appreciative of the generous Colonel Lanman gift," says Mr. Beckett. "This addition will house four regulation-size basketball courts that can be converted to support many other sports and activities. The Lanman Center will also house a new recreational jogging track, along with many other amenities."
The gym renovations are expected to take place in three phases, notes Mr. Beckett. Work on Phase I began last year, with the construction of six international-sized squash courts.
Introducing light and color. There are three main goals to the renovations, according to Barbara Chesler, associate director of athletics. The first is to "update and modernize" gym facilities. The second is to "make PWG a more friendly space." And the third goal is to "create more open spaces, and make them bigger and brighter," Ms. Chesler says. "We're hoping to introduce light and color into the gym through these renovations, and also make major improvements in signage. We want to make it easier to circulate throughout the building, bring the building into the 21st century. It'll just feel different."
In addition to the new squash courts, the first phase of the renovation/expansion project "will provide a major upgrade of the lobby and many of the hallways and corridors, with an eye to better lighting and improved safety and security," Mr. Beckett explains. "There will also be a total renovation of the women's third-floor membership locker room and the varsity locker rooms around the recently dedicated John J. Lee Amphitheater. A new, state-of-the-art fitness center will be relocated on the fourth floor for recreational and varsity team use. This facility will include dozens of new aerobic conditioning machines, as well as a complete range of free weights and strength-conditioning equipment."
The varsity locker rooms in the amphitheater will include individual locker rooms for men's basketball, women's basketball, women's volleyball, and crew teams, Ms. Chesler says. There also will be visiting-team locker rooms, as well as locker rooms for coaches and officials. The work is expected to be completed by January 1998.
New lockers. Upper-floor recreational locker rooms will sport brand new lockers, floors and tiling throughout, as well as improved lighting. "There will be less crowding between lockers," notes Ms. Chesler, "and there will be private showers in the third- floor women's locker room."
In future phases, renovations are expected to take place in the Kiphuth Pool, the fencing salon, the dance and gymnastics studios, and locker rooms -- including steam and sauna areas for both men and women. Also, plans call for the construction of several new regulation-size racquetball and squash courts, as well as the installation of new heating, ventilation, controls, power and lighting systems.
Donations for renovations. The cost of the first phase of gym renovations is about $37 million, says Arch Currie, director of project management in the Office of Facilities. In the fall of 1996, President Richard C. Levin announced that the University had successfully completed a $25 million fund drive to help defray the cost of gym renovations. One of the major donors during the drive was Colonel William K. Lanman, U.S. Marine Corps, Ret. and a 1928 graduate of Yale Sheffield Scientific School. Other primary supporters of the fund drive include Yale alumni John J. Lee '58E, '59 M. Eng. (for whom the gym's amphitheater is named); Barton M. Biggs '55; Joshua Bekenstein '80; the late Adrian C. Israel '36S; Glenn H. Greenberg '68; Joseph F. Cullman 3rd '35; Raymond J. Wean Jr. '43S; Stephen G. Woodsum '76 and Anne R. Lovett '77; and Dennis P. Lynch '64. Gifts to the fund also were made by members of the Harry Day family: Harry D. Day '70, Jerrold Day, the estate of Dr. Harry M. Day and the Dr. Harry M. Day '34 Charitable Foundation.
The Payne Whitney Gym, located at 70 Tower Pkwy., serves approximately 10,000 members of the Yale community during the academic year. It is the second largest athletic facility in the world and consists of 16 levels covering 12 acres of floor space. Built by John Russell Pope in 1932, the gym was constructed as a memorial to Payne Whitney, Class of 1898, through a gift from the Whitney family.