New Sports Facility Benefits From Old-Timer's Memory

Long-forgotten creek swamps Illinois College site; lime stabilization helps dry soil

by Mary Beth Sammons

Illinois College in Jacksonville is so steeped in history that an old-timer aided crews building an athletic facility.

Unusually soggy conditions surprised teams building the $18.6 million Bruner Fitness & Recreation Center, said Bill Watts, project manager for East Peoria, Ill.-based River City Construction LLC. Water permeated the ground though plat searches and soil bearings indicated otherwise.

"We were drilling for the foundation, when - surprise - this water came surging out on the north end of the project," he said. "There was no clue from our testing where that could have come from."

A long-time resident happened to walk by the site and informed crews that decades ago, a tiny creek made its way through the property, Watts said.

"Sure enough, he led us to the source of the creek up the road a ways, and we realized that the ground we were using was a back-filled creek," he said.

Crews swung into action to counter the potential water hazard and secure the foundation, Watts said. Lime was spread across the surface to dry it so that mud and water did not cause problems during the drilling of the 36-in.-diameter caissons.

"We went down to the bedrock with concrete peers to secure the foundation the best we could," he added.

In addition, pipes wrapped in fabric and with small perforations were installed next to the caissons to collect the water and direct it to the storm sewer system, Watts said. Pumps channeled water from the digging, and the storm drainage system was rerouted.

Bringing in Students

Though the school once attracted dignitaries like speaker and country lawyer Abraham Lincoln, officials hope that the addition of the sports complex will serve as a tool to lure students from southern Illinois and beyond the state's borders, said Jim Murphy, director of public relations for Illinois College.

The 149,300-sq.-ft. sports complex is touted as the largest project ever built on the almost 175-year-old campus and the largest in Jacksonville, a rural community of 20,000 people just west of Springfield.

The facility will house a wellness center, aerobic and dance studios, weight and cardiovascular workout spaces, two racquetball courts, eight-lane swimming pool and spa, 200-meter indoor track and a 1,600-seat arena for basketball and volleyball games.

The magnitude of the project for the small community has posed an unusual challenge to construction crews.

"The athletes are standing here every day watching the progress and folks from town come over and want tours," said Floyd Sexton, the 20-year director of the college's physical plant. He came out of retirement to become the site's unofficial tour guide because "this is the biggest project our town has ever seen."

The 950-student college boasts a rich history. Graduates include William Jennings Bryant, the famed orator and three-time presidential candidate in the 1890s and 1900s. Several icons besides Lincoln have addressed college audiences, including Mark Twain and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Dealing with Tight Site

The only space for the sports facility was a narrow 300-ft. by 400-ft. practice field wedged between football stadium bleachers and a busy street.

The complex was attached to the bleachers, said Don Keane, senior vice president for Hastings & Chivetta Architects Inc., a St. Louis-based designer of sports, recreation and wellness facilities for colleges. "We had to improvise our architectural goals under the constraints of working in a smaller space than what we wanted our design to convey."

Another issue was embracing the historic pride of the campus and creating a handsome building, Keane said. The architects used solid masonry and red bricks that look traditional. Gabled ends were also put on the building.

Watts said the design created the illusion of a mansard roof - a top with a double slope on all four sides. The roof does have a single steep slope on each side, but the tiered look was created with "the creative use of shingles.

"The shingles had to create a curved effect on the flat surface, and it required an almost surgical approach to do this," he added.

Trusses that are 160 ft. long support the roof, Watts said. They were welded on the ground and lifted into place.

About 40,000 cream-colored porcelain tiles with the blue Illinois College logo were installed in most of the building's common areas, Watts said. The plans had originally called for vinyl flooring, but the tiles were substituted for aesthetic reasons.

Tasks that he would normally cause construction headaches were "flawless," Watts said. Those included the construction of a swimming pool and the extensive mechanical, electrical and plumbing work required for a sports facility.

The project was scheduled for completion this June.

"We're just a few months behind the schedule, and that's pretty good when you think about the water and the other challenges," Watts said.