At the 2016-17 season home opener basketball game on Saturday, Nov. 5, Kellogg Community College coaches and athletes will honor the college’s past and present athletic teams during what will be the final basketball season to begin in the 50-year-old Miller Gymnasium, 450 North Ave., Battle Creek.
Admission to the event – to be held at midcourt at approximately 2:20 p.m. Saturday – as well as to the men’s and women’s basketball games that afternoon is free.
The celebration will include highlights of KCC Athletics over the years and presentations by KCC’s current basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball coaches at the conclusion of the KCC women’s basketball game against Sinclair Community College, which begins at 1 p.m. The KCC men’s basketball team will tip off against Sinclair at 3 p.m.
The celebration also will include a display of the contents retrieved from a time capsule opened last month for the first time since 1966, when it was placed in the Miller Gym cornerstone by late newspaper publisher Robert Miller. Miller was president of the Albert L. and Louise B. Miller Foundation, which originally provided a major donation toward the construction of the original Miller Building. KCC officials retrieved the time capsule for safekeeping in anticipation of the upcoming demolition and construction work.
“We’re immensely proud of our competitive athletic teams at KCC and we hope the community takes advantage of an opportunity to visit the iconic Miller Gym before it is replaced in 2017,” said KCC Athletic Director Tom Shaw. “Our athletes and coaches have enjoyed plenty of success in this facility and we fully expect our tradition of excellence to continue in our new home for KCC Athletics, wellness and physical education in 2018.”
The Miller Building, built in 1966, has become outdated and inefficient from a facility operation standpoint. After reviewing multiple design options, KCC determined this year that a replacement – rather than renovation – is the most cost-effective option. KCC will pay for the estimated $10 million project with revenue from a voter-approved capital millage and other grants.
The new facility will have dedicated space for physical education curriculum, a bigger weight and workout room, a bigger gymnasium, dedicated space for KCC Police Academy fitness training, efficient heating and cooling systems and other modern amenities. During the construction period in 2017 and 2018, KCC’s athletic and physical education programs will temporarily relocate to other community facilities in Battle Creek.
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