The Georgia Tech women’s basketball team has a new space to enjoy pre-and post-game, practices and training sessions as DPR Construction completed a new locker room space for the Yellow Jackets, an addition and renovation of 2,610 sq.-ft. located between McCamish Pavilion and Zelnak Center.

“DPR over-delivered and I know our student-athletes and coaches are so happy with their new home. I can’t say enough about the insight, creativity, attention to detail, and passion the DPR team brought to the project,” said Todd Stansbury, Georgia Tech director of athletics.

Georgia Tech’s move to upgrade its outdated women’s basketball locker room facility was based on ensuring that its players would have a unique and memorable college basketball experience.

“It’s a beautiful space, we’re super excited about it. It has a championship feel to it, so it immediately sets the tone for who we are as a women’s basketball program,” said Nell Fortner, Georgia Tech women’s basketball head coach.

The renovated space includes a staff lounge, game lounge, nutrition lounge, and a new hydrotherapy tub for player recovery. For many project team members, the project was a labor of love, too.

“As a Georgia Tech graduate and former student-athlete, having the opportunity to come back to campus, and contribute to the growth of Georgia Tech Facilities through DPR Construction is both a blessing and honor,” said Brian Oliver, a DPR Sr. Project Manager.

Georgia Tech chose custom made Hollman lockers that feature individual engravable name and number plates with substantial space for player uniforms, equipment and personal items.

“One of the core focuses was to upgrade individual lockers to give players an all-star experience,” said DPR’s Heather Taylor, a project engineer.

The existing exterior storefront was dismantled by the project team to extend the space by 172-sq.-ft. for the addition of the new recruiting cove area. DPR leveraged its MEP expertise, as well, especially on a new sprinkler system in the locker room connecting to McCamish Pavilion that was installed to bring the space up to code. This heavily coordinated process required draining the entire existing McCamish Pavilion sprinkler system.

The locker room was revealed and turned over to Georgia Tech in time for the team’s first practice of the 2020-2021 season.

“There’s no question it helps long term for recruiting because if you’re a big-time player, you want big-time facilities. You want to play in a beautiful arena like McCamish Pavilion. You want to practice in a facility like Zelnak Basketball Center and you want a locker room that you’re proud of and one you want to go to every day,” said Fortner.

The project is DPR’s latest on the campus. DPR made its building debut at Georgia Tech in 2008. As Georgia Tech’s building landscape continues to expand and flourish, DPR’s project construction completion footprint at Georgia Tech includes:

• Georgia Tech I School of Applied Physiology and Student Competition Center
• Georgia Tech | Physiological Research Lab Renovation & Expansion
• Georgia Tech | School of Molecular Science and Engineering | 1st and 2nd Floors
• Georgia Tech | Technology Square