February 19, 2025

$60M UW basketball facility tops out

Rendering by Gensler [enlarge]

The facility will have two identical dedicated practice courts for UW’s men’s and women’s basketball teams.

A new training facility for the University of Washington's women's and men's basketball teams has topped out at the university's athletic campus, otherwise known as East Campus.

The intercollegiate athletics building will be two stories and 36,000 square feet. It will house two identical 9,800-square-foot practice courts, individually dedicated to either the men's or women's basketball program for exclusive 24/7 access.

Additional building features include viewing and gathering spaces and a conference and recruiting room.

The facility is being delivered using the design-build method by project partners Mortenson (general contractor) and Gensler (architect).

Ground was broken on the new building in August. A topping-out ceremony, held Feb. 13 on-site, celebrated the completion of the building's steel framework and the progress toward finishing the facility. With the topping out, the project is now a little over halfway towards completion. The ICA Basketball Training Facility is expected to open in the fall. A total of 552,445 pounds of steel have now been installed onto the building's frame. The facility's mirrored practice courts are designed to emphasize UW Athletics' commitment to equity and will have equivalent access to diffused natural daylight. Upon entering the completed facility, visitors will notice a “jewel box” recruiting space at its center.

Photo courtesy of Mortenson [enlarge]

The facility’s steel framework topped out last week.

The building is rising adjacent to the Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion — the home court for UW's men's and women's basketball teams — and to the Graves Annex strength and conditioning space. A pool building was demolished to make way for the new construction.

The project scope also includes 4,000 square feet of renovations that will create new internal connections between the Alaska Airlines Arena and the Graves strength and conditioning space to synergize flow between student-athlete spaces at East Campus. The design team ensured that student-athletes have equal walking distances to their courts from the new internal connections. Site improvements will be made within and around the new facility to ensure accessibility for all. Improvements include a new student plaza surrounded by landscaping and site lighting, as well as consolidated parking and improved external circulation to better serve game-day crowds.

The project is designed with sustainability and long-term durability in mind, aligning with the University of Washington's dedication to environmentally responsible design. To enhance this commitment, the design team implemented embodied carbon tracking during the design phase and specified low-carbon materials, including low-carbon concrete mixes and steel with a high percentage of recycled material. The team is also monitoring carbon emissions related to on-site construction. Additionally, the project supports UW's Business Equity Inclusion goals by providing contracting opportunities and career paths for small, diverse businesses and apprenticeships.

The ICA Basketball Training Facility is fully funded by donors, including $1 million from former Husky basketball players. The approximate total cost is $59.6 million. “We are incredibly excited to reach this significant milestone,” Jennifer Kim, project executive at Mortenson, shared in a press release. “This is a moment to reflect on the tremendous work done by the team and partners in creating a truly transformative facility for the University of Washington and its basketball programs. We are looking forward to the next phase of construction as we bring this vision to life for the student-athletes.”

Francesly Sierra, project manager with Gensler Seattle, added, “Watching the courts that will support both the women's and men's basketball teams emerge from within the heart of the UW athletic campus fills us with pride. We eagerly anticipate the day when the student-athletes will be able to elevate their games and achieve their full potential in this inclusive and equitable environment.”

The project team also includes structural engineer Holmes.