l-r – Fitchburg Athletic Director Sue Lauder,; Mary H. Whitney a member of the Fitchburg Board of Parks Commissioners; Mayor Stephen DiNatale; President of Fitchburg State University Dr. Richard S. Lapidus; and Carmelita Landry’s daughter Darlene Westlund / Photo: Matthew Bruun, director of public relations, Fitchburg State.
Fitchburg, MA – Members of the Walsh Brothers project team joined executives from Fitchburg State University including Dr. Richard S. Lapidus, president, Sue Lauder, athletic director, Jay Bry, vice president of finance and administration, William Barletta, executive director of capital planning and maintenance, and Mary Beth McKenzie, assistant vice president for finance and administration, as well as Stephen L. DiNatale, Mayor of Fitchburg, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the renovation of Fitchburg State University’s Carmelita Landry Arena in Fitchburg.
Walsh Brothers teamed with Miller Dyer Spears architects to provide the input and analysis to assist the Massachusetts State College Building Authority and Fitchburg State decision makers in reaching cost-effective decisions on program priorities, space-use allocation, responsive design solutions, targeted renovation investment, and maximum impact for their project outlays through a process of evaluating design options. Walsh Brothers also provided preconstruction analysis and construction phase follow-through on issues such as existing building systems constraints, infrastructure improvements, constructability, access, and site management.
The revitalized Landry Arena will be the public face for varsity sports at Fitchburg State and includes a state-of-the-art field house with multipurpose turf sports flooring, a strength and conditioning center, batting cages, integrated audio-visual systems, and new locker rooms. The new arena also includes office space for the city’s parks and recreation department and will allow residents to use the facilities during off seasons.
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“We are proud to honor the legacy of Carmelita Landry with this renovated facility that will help students and athletes perform at the highest levels,” Dr. Lapidus said. “We are also committed to working closely with the city on projects that benefit our shared community. Through our combined efforts, the Civic Center will remain a viable and important asset to the entire region for years to come.”
“We were able to leverage our long-term relationship with our subcontractors in a way to keep our project on track, yet offer Fitchburg State even more of their ‘wish list’ than the original building plans,” said Richard Walsh, president and CEO of Walsh Brothers. “We are grateful to our subcontractor group for their creativity and loyalty to ensure budgets that work for our clients.”
