LATROBE, PA—Saint Vincent College held a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, September 9, 2022, at 11:00 am to officially mark the start of construction on the new Dunlap Family Recreation and Athletic Center on. The ceremony took place at the future site of the Dunlap Center, which is south of Parking Lot A, near the Fred Rogers Center on the Saint Vincent College campus.
Members of the Saint Vincent College community, including faculty and staff, students, and Board members; representatives from the Latrobe Industrial Development Association; local and state government officials; and the Dunlap and Kilkeary families attended the ceremony.
Dr. Jeffrie Mallory, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Saint Vincent College, welcomed those in attendance and spoke to the significance of the Dunlap Center: “In breaking ground for this Center, we acknowledge the importance of physical, mental wellbeing for all of our students and those who support them. In service of our Benedictine mission, and with alignment to these roots, the Center will allow us to encourage the intellectual gifts, professional aptitudes and personal aspirations for our students to mature harmoniously.”
Father Paul Taylor, O.S.B., President of Saint Vincent College, quoted in his remarks “The Rule of Saint Benedict,” remarking that, “We are only successful with the help of many.” He continued by thanking all of the many who have worked to make the construction of The Dunlap Center possible, including the Dunlap Family; the Kilkeary Family; the Saint Vincent College Board of Directors; Bishop Larry J. Kulick, J.C.L.; Archabbot Martin de Porres Bartel, O.S.B., SVC Chancellor; members of local and state government including Commissioner Sean Kertes, Representative Jason Silvis, and Senators Jay Costa and Kim Ward; and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He concluded by stating, “Ultimately everything we do is for the current and future students of Saint Vincent.”
Arthur J. Rooney II, Chair of the Saint Vincent College Board of Directors and President and owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team, and Timothy M. Dunlap, President and CEO of CentiMark Corporation also gave remarks. Father Archabbot Martin followed with words of thanks and a blessing before the turning of the shovels.
Those turning the shovels were Rooney; Bishop Kulick; Father Archabbot Martin; Father Paul; Andrew Kuntz, Student Government President; members of the Dunlap Family; Ed Kilkeary Sr.; and Board members Amanda Cecconi and Ramon Foster.
Construction of The Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center is expected to be completed by Summer 2024.
About the Dunlap Family Recreation and Athletic Center
The 72,000 square foot Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center will be located on the Saint Vincent College campus adjacent to the Fred M. Rogers Center.
The new facility will provide the Saint Vincent College community much-needed facilities for recreation and exercise, intramural athletic competition and varsity athletic practice, while supporting educational, cultural, civic and recreational programming for the Saint Vincent community and Latrobe region communities.
The Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center will enhance the College’s current recreation and exercise offerings, housing a fitness room with cardio and circuit training equipment; a recreational track; and instruction rooms for yoga, Pilates and other fitness classes.
The facility will include an athletic training center for medical therapy and treatment as well as a health and wellness pavilion.
The building will also help to support the educational, cultural, civic and recreational programming that Saint Vincent provides for its community and guests, as its flexible design will include meeting rooms, visiting spaces and a health café.