RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Manhattan College's multi-purpose athletic facility, Draddy Gymnasium, is undergoing its largest improvement project since the building opened in 1978. The state-of-the-art renovations, which are scheduled to be completed this fall, include a new indoor track and flooring throughout the facility, top-of-line strength training and cardio equipment, as well as a newly designed basketball floor and video scoreboards. Draddy Gymnasium serves the entire Manhattan College community on an annual basis, and is the primary home to the Jaspers' NCAA Division I athletic teams and Student Activities' intramural program.
Manhattan's five lane, indoor track will be constructed with the widely used Mondo surface, a rubberized artificial athletic material. An industry leader, Mondo provides the surface at most major track & field venues around the world. The track & field competition at each of the last four Olympic Games was held on a Mondo track, and the surface will be used again at the 2012 London Games. Improvements are also being made to the turning radius on the track in order to enhance practice and competition. The track is the longest indoor facility in New York City.
Draddy Gymnasium's weight room and fitness center will house Life Fitness equipment, which is available to the entire Manhattan College student population. The brand new equipment includes a variety of free weights, dumb bells and Olympic lifting stations, as well as treadmills, elliptical machines and exercise bicycles.
The main basketball floor in Draddy Gymnasium will feature a fresh design, incorporating Manhattan's new athletic logos and word marks. Additionally, a new four-sided, center hung scoreboard with a virtual message center will be complemented by two video displays strategically positioned in each end zone to enhance fan experience. Draddy Gymnasium's LED video displays will be 8-feet tall by 12-feet wide, and used to play highlight reels, instant replays and comprehensive statistical information.
The enhancements to the weight room and fitness center are expected to be complete within the next week and the entire Draddy Gymnasium improvement project is scheduled to be completed by November 2011.
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