New Boathouse Construction Underway for Boston College Rowing Programs
February 01, 2008 | Rowing
Feb. 1, 2008
Chestnut Hill, Mass. - Boston College Rowing will have a new home come July 2008 as the construction for a new community boathouse along the Charles River in Brighton, Mass., officially broke ground this past summer.
Located on a site leased from the state of Massachusetts, the facility will hold a main building with two floors and a separate building for smaller boats. The 30,000-square-foot facility has the capacity to hold, in total, more than 150 boats. The ground floor of the main building will consist of work and storage space, including a repair bay. The second floor will include a large multi-purpose room, state of the art weight room, locker rooms and office space.
Boston College has been leasing space from Community Rowing in Newton's Daly Ice Rink for the past few years to operate both its women's varsity and men's club programs. Access has been seasonal due to its operation as a rink from November through March. BC Rowing will now have a permanent home for its programs and equipment.
"This really is like a dream come true" said head women's coach Steve Fiske. "A permanent home on the river means so much to our rowing programs. The team has essentially been rowing off of trailers since it was established over 20 years ago. The commitment to this boathouse clearly establishes rowing at BC for many years to come. "
The project is headed by Community Rowing, a non-profit, volunteer-driven club consisting of a group of people "working together to make rowing accessible, affordable and fun." CRI's Boathouse for All Campaign will ensure that the community's public rowers can access the Charles River. Boston College has contributed $2.5 million to the project, which is estimated to cost $15 million to complete.
"Community Rowing is truly an outstanding organization for the sport," Fiske said. "Its outreach programs and accessibility to the public are unique and have significantly impacted so many people. We are thrilled to be partnering with such a great organization."
For more information on Community Rowing and the Boathouse For All Campaign please visit http://www.communityrowing.org/boathouse.htm.
Spring races for BC begin on March 15, when the women will compete in the Jesuit Invitational being held in Camden, N.J.
Renderings and floor plans of the boathouse may be found here: http://bceagles.cstv.com/view.gal?id=21933
