We are hopeful that it will further encourage a college and community spirit that we can all take part in and be proud of. The project, to be designed by Foor and Associates Architects, of Elmira, N.Y., includes a 4,700 square foot addition to the back of the ice arena and will upgrade the lower level of the north end of the ice arena. Financing for the project will not use any tuition-generated revenue, resources from the College's operating budget, or loans. Additional funding for the project comes from the restricted Murray Athletic Center Reserve Fund. Work is scheduled to begin in April of 2001, immediately following the close of the 2000-2001 Soaring Eagles men's ice hockey season, with an anticipated completion date of August 2001.
Fans can look forward to upgraded public restroom facilities and a new area for renting skates.
Opponents will find new locker rooms, which will also provide additional support to Elmira College's fall and spring field sports athletes who play and practice at the Murray Athletic Center. The new and upgraded locker rooms will boost the facility even higher by comparison. These enhancements underscore how committed Elmira College is to the ice hockey programs. The women's ice hockey team is expected to compete against Manhattanville, RIT, Buffalo State, SUNY Cortland, Utica College, SUNY Plattsburgh, and Neuman College in their premiere season in 2001-2002. Fifty-one percent of the College's athletes boast a 3.0 grade point average or higher.