Purdue Calumet and City of Hammond Announce Historic Partnership

HAMMOND, Ind. – The city of Hammond and Purdue University Calumet announced its partnership in the development of an outdoor sports complex at Dowling Park during a joint press conference at the Jean Shephard Community Center. Visit http://webs.purduecal.edu/athletics/dowlingpark for a sneak peak at the initial plans for Dowling Park.
The complex, when fully developed, will include a six-court tennis facility; full size, lighted soccer field; and regulation baseball and soccer fields. Plans call for the complex to be developed in phases, subject to available funding. The city will fund one-third of the cost; Purdue Calumet will be responsible for the remainder through a combination of budgeted dollars and private fundraising efforts.
The first phase of the development will involve the addition of a collegiate tennis complex to the park. Phase two will feature soccer field development. The baseball and softball fields will be added during phase three. Included in each phase of development are additional park improvements, such as increased landscaping, a walking trail as well as a children’s recreation area. The cost figures for phases two and three are yet to be determined.
“I am proud of this agreement between the city of Hammond and Purdue Calumet to improve Dowling Park,” Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott said. “This project will allow Hammond residents to share state-of-the-art athletic facilities, and it also will greatly enhance our park. This is a true partnership.”
The complex is vital to Purdue Calumet and its efforts to expand its intercollegiate athletics program to 12 varsity programs over the next few years. Purdue Calumet, which has fielded men’s and women’s basketball programs for years, introduced men’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s volleyball during the current 2010-11 academic year and plans to see men’s and women’s cross country teams emerge in the fall of 2011. The expansion plan calls for men’s and women’s soccer squads to debut in 2012-13, followed by men’s baseball and women’s softball teams. The addition of the new athletic programs is also a part of the university’s enrollment management strategy.
“We want to be able to recruit talented and motivated, Northwest Indiana-are student-athletes who desire to continue their athletics career while they persist to earn a Purdue degree on our campus,” Purdue Calumet Chancellor Howard Cohen said. “This complex will go a long way enabling us to build a competitive athletics program in which outstanding student-athletes enjoy a first-class experience of learning and competing at Purdue Calumet.”
During their competition seasons, Purdue Calumet squads will have priority to related venues of the new complex. For the remainder of the year, the complex will be available to Hammond residents, sports teams and organizations.
“This agreement will go down in Purdue Calumet history as one of the cornerstones of our athletic expansion plan,” Purdue Calumet Athletic Director Dr. Bob Bunnell said. “The details of the arrangement are a true testament to Chancellor Cohen and Mayor McDermott, showcasing their willingness to help provide both Purdue Calumet and the city of Hammond with a complex that will be a focal point for athletic events in Northwest Indiana.”
Dowling Park is located less than two miles southeast of Purdue Calumet, east of Kennedy Avenue and immediately north Interstate 80/94. Due to construction of student housing on campus in recent years, land to develop campus-based, outdoor athletic facilities is limited.