Colby-Sawyer College has broken ground on a $2 million athletic pavilion to be situated on the Kelsey Athletic Campus, marking the college’s first major construction project since 2017.

The pavilion, made possible by a $1.5 million gift from Colby-Sawyer Board of Trustees member Sally Shaw Veitch ’66, will open this spring and include team meeting spaces, an athletic training room and a covered picnic area, among other spaces. The 2,700 square-foot facility will also feature wireless internet, allowing for enhanced live streaming of college athletic events from nearby fields.

“Construction of this pavilion at the heart of our Kelsey Athletic Campus will allow us to better support the needs of our athletics department while also creating a greater experience for our student-athletes and spectators,” Colby-Sawyer President Susan D. Stuebner said. “We are extremely grateful to Sally for her continued support of the college and its athletic programs through her generous gift.”

Veitch, who participated in intramural sports and was a member of the athletic association during her time at the college, is an avid supporter of her alma mater and a member of both its Legends Society — which recognizes individuals who’ve contributed more than $1 million to the college — and athletic hall of fame. She also served as a member of the board of trustees from 2011-2020 and was reelected to the board last year.

The lead donor to the artificial turf field and surrounding track which bears her name, Veitch said that a structure at the Kelsey Athletic Campus has been a necessity for some time.

“It was obvious there was a need for a pavilion for our athletic teams for locker rooms and changing,” Veitch said. “Athletics tends to be my interest. It is an important part of the academic experience for students.”

The pavilion, which represents the college’s first major construction project since the completion of the Davidow Center for Art + Design in 2017, will be constructed by the Middlebury, Vt.-based Bread Loaf Corporation, and is the first of two major construction projects slated to begin over the course of the academic year. Colby-Sawyer announced plans earlier this year to build a new home for its School of Nursing & Health Sciences, with construction on the $15 million, 20,590 square-foot facility set to begin this spring.

A ceremony to commemorate the groundbreaking of the athletic pavilion was held Friday, Oct. 14 at the Kelsey Athletic Campus, as part of the college’s homecoming festivities.