Ground is Broken for $25 Million Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex

April 15, 2016 (Notre Dame, Ind.) — Saint Mary’s College is proud to announce that ground was broken this afternoon for the new Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex. When complete, the complex will be more than twice the size of the current Angela. The project will add 61,000 sq. ft. to the floor plan, creating a total of 105,000 sq. ft. to support the needs of students and College’s eight Division III sports. Construction is scheduled to start in mid-May, some time after Commencement. 

The groundbreaking marks the successful conclusion of a $25 million fundraising effort to renovate and expand Angela and the athletic fields into a state of the art complex. The project was a component of the Faith Always, Action Now campaign, which raised $105 million for the College’s endowment and several projects.

It is a significant moment in the tenure of Saint Mary’s College President Carol Ann Mooney ’72, who will retire on May 31. “To begin the construction phase of the project has been a dream of my presidency. I know that the Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex will not only attract new students, but it will enhance the overall experience for every one of our students,” Mooney said. “It is a true joy to see the hard work and contributions of so many of our alumnae and friends begin to take shape.”

Julie Schroeder-Biek ’88, director of athletics, expressed heartfelt gratitude to donors. “They saw our need and responded. It will be a complex that we will be proud to proclaim as ‘Home of the Belles.’”

Interest in the Angela project was significant, with more than 1,400 donors investing in the project. Challenge gifts led by Tony and Sarah Belanger Earley ’71, in 2013, and Donald and Susan Fitzgerald Rice ’61, in 2014, inspired at least $6 million in investments. When introducing the Rice’s challenge, Susan said, “The current facility does not meet the needs of today’s students who embrace an even more active and healthy lifestyle.”

The existing Angela was dedicated in September 1977 and is named for Mother Angela Gillespie, the first American to head Saint Mary’s Academy, which would become Saint Mary’s College. With women’s collegiate athletics taking off in the late 1970s, it didn’t take long for the College to outgrow the current space.

The vision for the Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex is to provide one location on campus where students can go to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The new complex will bring the Health and Counseling Center from Holy Cross Hall into Angela. The office provides students with doctor’s clinics, allergy and flu shots, prescription distribution, counseling and other services. Meanwhile, the complex will boast improved and expanded court and field space as well as additional fitness space for cardio and weight training.

“This is a building that will serve our entire campus community,” Schroeder-Biek explained. As always, faculty, staff, and alumnae may enjoy free Angela memberships.

“Our fitness area will be expanded and include private classrooms for our activity courses. The new fieldhouse adds three additional courts to our facility allowing multiple events to be scheduled concurrently.”

Meanwhile, the Angela project includes the new and improved outdoor athletic space. In April 2015, ground was broken for the Patricia Wiedner Purcell ’69 Athletic Fields, north of Angela. Construction is now complete on that $4.5 million project. The complex includes:

• Soccer, lacrosse, and softball fields;
• Field lighting, scoreboards and press boxes for each new field;
• Sidewalks leading from entry gate to new concessions building, which features restrooms and a satellite athletic training room as well as some storage space;
• Sidewalks connecting the bleachers at all of the fields.

Athletes have not played on the fields yet because the grass needs to be adequately established.

About Saint Mary's College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. Saint Mary’s College also offers two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College seeks, according to its mission statement, to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2016 published by U.S. News & World Report. Follow Saint Mary's College on Twitter @saintmarys and @saintmarysnews. 

Contact for News Media: Gwen O’Brien, director of media relations, Saint Mary’s College, gobrien@saintmarys.edu (574) 284-4579.