U of M Selects Mortenson for Athletics Village Project

The University of Minnesota has announced the selection of M.A. Mortenson Company as the manager for the construction of the school’s new Athletics Village.

The project consists of four new buildings, including a football indoor practise facility and basketball development center.

According to the university, Mortenson will be responsible for planning and executing the construction of four new buildings on the department's existing footprint at the corner of 15th Avenue Southeast and 5th Street Southeast: the Center for Excellence (home to academic, leadership and nutrition centers), the Football Performance Center, the Football Indoor Practice Facility and the Basketball Development Center.

The U of M says Mortenson was awarded the contract from a competitive field of proposals submitted by multiple organizations.The school says the company ultimately separated itself with a strong presentation of its qualifications and experience, as well as its approach to the project and its work plan.

"We're honored to partner with the University of Minnesota and Intercollegiate Athletics to construct this important complex," said Ken Sorensen, Mortenson senior vice president. "We're looking forward to contributing to a project that will provide one of the best student-athlete experiences in the Big Ten and have such a positive impact on both Gopher Athletics and the state of Minnesota."

University of Minnesota Director of Athletics Norwood Teague first shared his vision for these new facilities to the Board of Regents in 2013.

Once construction is completed, the core of the new Athletics Village will include an expanded academic center, a leadership center dedicated to student-athlete development, a nutrition center to house a dining hall and wellness programming, and training and indoor practice spaces for several Gopher programs. Existing buildings, such as the Bierman Field Athletics Building and the Gibson-Nagurski complex, will be updated for use by other Gopher athletic programs.

Fundraising for the project continues.In less than a year, donations have gone over $70 million.The goal is $190 million.

For more details or to contribute to the Nothing Short of Greatness campaign, visit NothingShortOfGreatness.com.