Last year, Fairfield University unveiled many completed projects on campus, including the new Charles F. Dolan School of Business and the Barnyard Manor townhouses on the south side of campus.
However, Fairfield didn’t stop here in their mission to further modernize this modern Jesuit University. With the completion of these projects came the announcement of a newer, bigger endeavor: a new Convention Center, which is being constructed in place of what is currently Alumni Hall.
The new Convention Center was set to open in 2021, with construction beginning in 2020; however, the COVID-19 pandemic brought construction to a halt.
The new Convention Center is planned to hold about 3,500 seats, a state-of-the-art broadcast and media center, a Stags Club lounge, numerous concession stands, a beer garden, a Stags Spirit Shop and much more.
Students began to become familiar with seeing construction on campus surrounding the area of Alumni Hall, but when they returned this fall, there was no construction to be seen.
The information we compiled points to the fact that construction will commence in early 2021, and an anticipated completion date is not yet confirmed. Last spring, the Fairfield University basketball and volleyball teams said goodbye to Alumni Hall at their final home games; however, these teams will get one last season on their homecourt, although this could also change according to the trends of the pandemic.Throughout the entire outbreak, people have become familiar with flexibility and change. Protocols and guidelines are shifting daily.
As of right now, for the 2020-2021 basketball seasons, spectators cannot attend any Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games until Dec. 23. This date is tentative, and is just another example of the uncertain nature of this virus. With that being said, until construction officially resumes, students will not truly have an informed idea of when the Convention Center will be complete.
It is my hope that when the Convention Center is complete, a world surrounded by COVID-19 will be behind us, and the timing will align for fans to get back to games. This could increase the spirit of students on campus, as activities are currently limited. Games could up morale and bring about a warm welcome for the Convention Center.
To obtain more information regarding the construction of the Convocation Center, The Mirror reached out to Fairfield’s associate director of Athletics/Facilities and Operations, Allen Gibson, who then directed us towards Campus Operations, as he stated they have taken over the construction timeline.
The Mirror contacted the associate director of Athletics/Communications and Media Relations, John Jones, for a comment, although he failed to respond. In addition, Peter Crowley, the director of Facilities Management, also failed to deliver any comment.
Curt Krushinsky, the director of Campus Planning and Design and Campus Architect, directed us towards David Frassinelli, the vice president of Facilities Management, who provided me with a press release to answer my questions regarding the timeline since COVID-19. The article contains a link to the Convention Center webpage, with some more information.
Leave a Reply