HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Athletic Department held a blessing and celebration for completed renovations to the Les Murakami Stadium baseball clubhouse and Gym 2 – the basketball practice facility adjacent to the Stan Sheriff Center. 
 
"Now more than ever, high-level facilities are one of the most important aspects to success in recruiting and in competition, as well as meeting the University's academic and student life needs," UH Athletics Director David Matlin said. "We feel the upgraded facilities keep us competitive on the national level and are really a game-changer for our baseball team as well as our men's and women's basketball programs. The improvements will also benefit the PE and intramurals programs that Athletics shares its facilities with. I'm excited for our student-athletes, coaches and University students who will benefit greatly from the renovations. We would like to thank the Hawai'i legislature for providing the funding for the improvements and their support of not only our student-athletes, but all students here at the University. There was a lot of hard work that went on behind the scenes to make these facility upgrades happen, and we are so grateful to everyone who had a hand in making this dream a reality."
 
For Les Murakami Stadium, home to UH baseball, it is the first renovation to the home team locker room, showers and restrooms since the facility opened in 1984. The revamped clubhouse features spacious lockers with individualized nameplates, new carpet and signage. The modernization will help bolster the student-athlete experience of the baseball players, who utilize the facility on a daily basis. 
 
"This is something that has a direct and powerful impact on the college experience of our baseball student-athletes," baseball head coach Mike Trapasso said. "We are grateful to our legislators, President Lassner and David Matlin for their efforts. This is a venue we can really be proud of. Go 'Bows!"
 
Gym 2 received its first major renovation since being built in 1981. The practice facility for both men's and women's basketball is fully equipped with new flooring, lights, scoreboards, a sound system, air conditioning and eight goals.
 
"I want to thank the Legislature and the people of Hawai'i for what our student-athletes get to experience with the reopening of Gym 2," women's basketball head coach Laura Beeman said. "The upgrades are tremendous and help us in so many ways. From our current players enjoying every element with new lighting, climate control, and the new sound system, to it being a recruiting tool for us. We can bring in visiting recruits and our auxiliary gym rivals and/or beat other teams within our conference. I'm grateful and our entire program is grateful."
 
Men's basketball head coach Eran Ganot echoed the sentiment, "This facility is a game-changer for us. To see it go from an idea, to a rendering, and finally to a reality has been absolutely unbelievable. There are so many people who have supported this project, particularly the Legislature, and what it means to our student-athletes. It helps us tremendously with player development and recruiting. The renovation is a statement for where our program is headed and we couldn't be more grateful for everyone's efforts."
 
The facility was completed in time for visiting teams to practice during the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic in late December. Former UH assistant and current TCU head men's basketball coach Jamie Dixon, a former national coach of the year, called Gym 2 "one of the best collegiate practice facilities in the nation." 
 
On Time and On Budget
Both projects were completed on-time and under budget. They are the latest examples of the university's successful adoption in 2016 of the design-build strategy; a significant change in the way the university executes capital improvement/construction projects. Design-build is an integrated delivery process that maintains a single contractor for both the design and construction of a project with a fixed, upfront cost. Design-build projects are more likely to be completed on time and with fewer cost overruns than the typical design-bid-build process.
 
Net Zero Facility
Renovations are underway now for Gym 1. One key feature to both practice facilities is the addition of air conditioning. Photovoltaic panels will be placed on the roofs of both gyms that is expected to make the entire facility net zero, meaning it will generate as much energy as it uses. It may also generate more energy than it needs that will help the university achieve its mandated goal achieve net-zero energy by 2035.