THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 3, 1994 TAG: 9411020198
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, COMPASS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
LARRY SWEARINGEN won't have his 18-hole golf course in the back yard, but that's just about all Norfolk Collegiate will be missing when the school's Capital Campaign that kicked off in September is completed.
The $3.4 million campaign was launched in part to acquire 5 1/2 acres of land behind the school for athletic fields. A design is laid out for a softball field, six tennis courts, a soccer/lacrosse/field hockey field and expanded parking to be completed by September of next year.
``They are not going to give me an 18-hole golf course,'' Swearingen, Collegiate's athletic director, said with a laugh. ``It's going to be great for the school and for the students to be able to walk out the door and go to practice.''
Currently, the students use the facilities at the Jewish Community Center.
Swearingen expects they will still have to use those fields on occasion because most of the girls and boys sports run during the same season, and that includes junior varsity and middle school teams.
``In the spring alone I know we have two lacrosse teams going, three soccer, two softball and two baseball teams and four tennis teams,'' Swearingen said. ``So that is a lot of teams to juggle around. Tennis may be the biggest problem, so we are hoping to eventually build nine courts.''
The Midfield Apartments currently stand on the land behind Collegiate, which is tucked into a corner at Granby Street and Suburban Parkway. In order to build the fields, the apartments have to come down.
Ten years ago, when a capital campaign was launched to build the upper school, there were 10 apartment buildings on the block.
Collegiate was only able to purchase three of the buildings at that time, so Meredith Construction bought the remaining seven and agreed to hold onto them for Collegiate until 1995, when the school would be able to exercise its option to buy the land from Meredith at the 1985 selling price.
Meredith Construction then spawned Meredith Management to run the Midfield Apartments and set up a month-to-month lease system and made it very clear to tenants that these buildings would not be around forever.
``We notified everyone in August,'' said Meredith Construction's Richard Meredith. ``We have done a lot of polling in the area and it looks like the area can very easily absorb those tenants and they will be able to remain in the Ward's Corner area.''
Tenant reaction has been positive.
No one was shocked to hear that they would have to move in early '95 and most have already made plans to move or weren't even planning on being in the area that long.
Collegiate expects to break ground on the fields in February or March.
Although the residents of Granby House, across Suburban Parkway from the school, will be able to stay put they will be affected by the lights and activity.
Collegiate's development director Cathy Craft said the school got together with everyone in the area and ``made it very clear that we wanted to be good neighbors.
``We want anyone in the area to be able to use the fields and courts whenever the school is not using them.''
While the athletic facilities will prove to be the most visible and dramatic result of the campaign, there are two other areas which will benefit from the $3.4 million.
There will be an increased endowment to raise faculty salaries and faculty development.
``Private school salaries tend to lag behind public school,'' Craft said. ``This will help us catch up a bit.''
The remaining funds will help Collegiate gain ground on the information superhighway.
The school will purchase more computers and also link all the upper and lower school together through a library computer system.
``We want to link the campuses together,'' Craft said. ``This will help the students be more competitive.
``Campaigns like this are the only way the school can grow. This is helping us stay in Norfolk.
``It has been a combination of good circumstances and very good feelings.'' ILLUSTRATION: Drawing
The project at Norfolk Collegiate includes a softball field, six
tennis courts, a soccer/lacrosse/field hockey field and expanded
parking.
Photo
Chef Frank Farello at the kickoff party for the Capital Campaign.
by CNB