Robert Morris officials hope to build boat house
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Robert Morris University is looking for "partners" to help build a $4 to $6 million, 22,000 square foot boathouse for rowers on the bank of the Ohio River on Neville Island.
About 100 people -- including business owners and rowing enthusiasts -- attended a public meeting held by RMU officials last Thursday.
The boathouse would be built on the 32-acre site of the Island Sports Center, which the Moon-based university has owned since 2003.
The boathouse would be used by the 36 members of the Robert Morris women's rowing team and would also be available to adult rowers and high school teams. The facility would have room for 85 boats from five teams. There would also be banquet and meeting rooms.
The firm DLA Architecture presented color drawings of the proposed building at the meeting, held in the Hat Trick Club, which overlooks the river where RMU's women's team practices rowing.
There is no timetable for construction and the university is just starting a fundraising campaign, said Craig Coleman, director of athletics at Robert Morris.
"As president of the university I want this," Gregory G. Dell'Omo said. "We think the time is right for a boathouse. We have not been able to provide the rowing team with the facility they deserve. Rowing has seen a surge in popularity at this university and across the nation."
RMU has 23 NCAA Division I sports, including women's rowing, said Dr. Coleman. "That's more teams than Pitt or WVU."
The Island Sports Center is home to a number of those teams, including hockey, track and rowing.
The rowing team started in 1997 with 12 members and now has 36 on the roster.
The university team has no boathouse and no dock. They have permission to use the dock of a neighboring bowling alley, Paradise Island Bowl, to get their 10 aluminum boats into the river.
"Our boats are out on the lawn," said team captain Nicole Spellman. "They cut the grass around them. We don't sleep so well when it hails."
The athletic director said "people are hungry for another rowing facility, particularly at this end of town."
One Coraopolis businessman said he thinks the boathouse could be good for nearby communities.
"I get a lot of business at night from the hockey teams" who play in the rinks at the Island Sports Center, said Anthony G. Celeste of Anthony Jr.'s Italian Restaurant.
First Published April 28, 2011 5:27 am
