May 24, 2023
After publicly launching a $13 million fundraising effort earlier this year to fund scholarships, academic programs, and student wellness and athletics facilities, the University of Montana Western has announced the selection of Jeffrey Contracting/R.E. Miller as the general contractor of the new Sports & Activities Complex, anticipated to break ground this August with the goal of having a game-ready field for fall semester 2024.
“We are very excited to be at this stage in the Sports & Activities Complex project, which will transform the student experience and provide a campus and community gathering place to be enjoyed by all. I would like to thank everyone for their generosity and contributions to the Experience One Campaign. We wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of our incredible Bulldog Community,” said Montana Western Chancellor, Michael Reid.
The civil site plan for the Sports & Activities Complex project is complete and has been reviewed and approved by the City of Dillon and Montana Department of Transportation. The next stage will be working with the project’s engineers, architects, and general contractor for design development and cost estimates.
“We are looking forward to working with local contracting business, R.E. Miller, on this project which will also employ the talents of several area subcontractors. The community support in helping us get to this point has been instrumental, and I am excited that we will be breaking ground soon,” said UMW Director of Facility Services, Michael Brown.
The Sports & Activities Complex will be constructed on a section of 14 acres of land adjacent to campus that John and Phyllis Erb pledged to the university in 2019. With expanded seating and new amenities, the Complex will significantly enhance the game-day and campus life experience and will aid in recruiting future students. The new Complex will also be available to host local games and events for other community organizations to support the youth of Beaverhead County.
Over $11.8 million has already been committed to the $13 million comprehensive campaign, of that, about $4.5 million will be directed to the Complex project. Currently, total funds raised for the Complex project are at $3.6 million.
“I’d like to thank our generous donors, and invite everyone to help us cross the finish line for the Experience One Campaign,” said UMW Foundation Executive Director, Roxanne Engellant. “Every gift, no matter the amount, brings us one step closer in achieving our goal in supporting our students and our community.”
Approximately $8.5 million is planned to be divided among the other three funding priorities of the Experience One Campaign including substantially increasing support for student scholarships, adding a Wellness Center to the campus to support the mental and physical health of UMW’s students, and investing in the Fund for Experience One to increase experiential learning opportunities for students and faculty. Montana Western hopes to secure the remaining funds needed for the campaign over the next twelve months.
For more information about Montana Western’s fundraising efforts or to support the Experience One Campaign, please contact the University of Montana Western Foundation at 406-683-7305, email [email protected], or visit tinyurl.com/X1-campaign. The UMW Foundation will also host a luncheon in the coming weeks to discuss opportunities for subcontractors interested in contributing to the Sports & Activities Complex project via in-kind donations. Please email [email protected] for more information.
