Reed College: New ‘Sports Center’ finished, after ice storm collapse

Published 12:00 am Sunday, November 24, 2024

Because its century-old campus is zoned by the City of Portland as “Campus Institutional”, Reed College meets a zoning requirement by hosting periodic meetings for folks from surrounding neighborhoods and business districts.

One of these took place in the Vollum Hall Lounge, on Tuesday evening, October 29 – and the big news of the evening was the reopening of the gymnastic space smashed by a major ice storm over three years ago.

Guests from the Reed neighborhood as well as Eastmoreland, eventually numbering about 40, helped themselves to cups of hot spiced apple cider and cookies as they walked into the hall.

Opening the meeting was Reed College Director of Conference Planning Lisa Leonard, who introduced the evening’s program.

Next, the college’s Associate Dean of Graduate and Special Programs Laura Zientek talked, in general, about their institution – pointing out that the student population ranges from “young college-age individuals” through older adults. “One of the things that all the students have in common is a desire to learn, and a desire to develop better critical thinking.”

‘Sports Center’ reopening

But the big news of the evening was announced by Steve Yeadon, Facilities Director at Reed College: The new gymnasium, part of the Aubrey R. Watzek Sports Center, has finally been completed, and is reopening.

As reported on page one of THE BEE at the time, a massive ice storm the day after Valentine’s Day in 2021 essentially destroyed the college’s gymnasium facilities. “I clearly remember seeing water pouring into the gym, and some of the wooden beams beginning to crack under the weight of the load of the roof,” recalled Yeadon. The collapse followed.

After a two-year process of permitting and funding, Yeadon said that construction on the $24 million project began May of 2023 and was completed this September.

Projecting images of the completed reconstruction project, Yeadon highlighted the use of “mass timber” beams in the ceiling. The new, massive composite wood beams were constructed off-site, trucked in, and then were lowered into place by giant cranes.

“We didn’t add to the size of the previous building; it’s approximately the same footprint, and the same square feet in size,” he explained. “In addition, the natatorium got an external facelift. A combined entrance now is in the quarter between the two buildings.”

Before ending the meeting, Yeadon touched on entirely a $15 million project to improve the infrastructure of the “central plant” – including seismic upgrades, mechanical replacements, and “de-carbonization” – and he mentioned changes in parking, and the addition of electric vehicle charging stations. But the news of the rebuilt gym was clearly the highlight of the night.