LOWELL, Mass. -- UMass Lowell Director of Athletics Peter Casey announced the first ever capital campaign for Athletics on Friday afternoon.  The campaign aims to raise $5 million to renovate Costello Athletic Center by 2020. 

The Costello Athletic Center, which is home to over 450 River Hawk student-athletes, was built in 1967 with some minor renovations in 2013, to address some immediate needs of transition to Division I. 

"We take the commitment to our student-athletes very seriously.  We have enjoyed a successful transition to Division I and we need to keep that momentum going strong." said Casey. "The facilities upgrade is a crucial next step in the transition process."
 
The renovation project includes the addition of River Hawk Central, a multipurpose student-athlete lounge.  River Hawk Central will be a dynamic transformation with over 4000 square feet of space, which will be used for team meetings, video breakdown, game day meals and special alumni events. The lounge will also house a refueling station to aid in post-training recovery for student-athletes.

In addition to River Hawk Central, phase one of the renovation will update the basketball locker room and office space and complete the locker room upgrades started in 2013.  Once these renovations are complete, 1700-square feet of current space will then be a completely dedicated academic center for enrichment, tutoring and study hall.

"I wanted to support the renovation of the Costello Athletic Center because I believe in our student athletes.  This project will help the University attract high caliber athletes to campus and I felt it was important that I do my part.  I hope all alumni will join in this effort," said John Kennedy '70 '16 (Hon). 

Phase two of the project will include a new sports performance center. 

"Costello always served an important purpose during my time as a student-athlete that went beyond the locker room," stated UMass Lowell softball alum Ally Greene. "It provided us with a resource for academic support, while giving us a place to train during our careers. As an alum, it has been exciting to watch the elevation and success of the athletic department on and off the field since joining the America East Conference. Renovating Costello will provide the River Hawks with the tools and facilities to compete at an even higher level than they do now. I am excited to see where the future of UMass Lowell athletics is headed and I know this campaign will help get them there."

Thanks to a lead gift from a generous donor, the campaign has already raised $1.5 million.

"The Costello Campaign is another big step forward for our athletic department as we aim to continue to improve the overall student-athlete experience," said UMass Lowell Men's Soccer Head Coach Christian Figueroa. "Our program is looking forward to taking advantage of all the new resources that will become available."

For more information on the renovation or to make a gift, please click here.

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