Providence, RI--William F. Concannon ’77 has made a $2 million leadership gift for the new Providence College fitness center, currently under construction.

Concannon is vice chairman of CB Richard Ellis, the industry leader in the field of commercial real estate brokerage, corporate real estate services, and investment management, and serves as a member of the College’s Board of Trustees.

The historic gift is the largest gift in College history supporting a fitness/athletics initiative, as well as the largest donation received for the fitness center project to date. 
William F. Concannon, and his wife, Claudia, join College President
Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. at the fitness center construction site

According to Concannon, his gift recognizes that the fitness center will enable the College to reach a new plateau in student services, providing undergraduates with an exceptional range of fitness, conditioning, and athletic opportunities, while also serving as an important health and wellness resource for the entire College community.

“My years at Providence College were among the best years of my life. The friendships I made through PC football and lessons I learned have been extremely valuable to me. My family and I wanted to show our appreciation and encourage others to help our College develop a culture of giving back,” noted Concannon.

“The fitness center represents a new chapter of leadership under Father Shanley to build a great environment for the Providence College community,” continued Concannon. “I am thrilled that the College is committed to offering our students, student-athletes, faculty, and staff the best facilities available. I think the new fitness center will be a major asset for the campus and will help focus greater attention on wellness for everyone.”

Concannon has been a generous benefactor to the College in recent years, providing significant support not only for the Annual Fund but for the building of St. Dominic Chapel and the Smith Center for the Arts, as well as special needs in the Department of Athletics.
A member of the College’s Board of Trustees since 2002, Concannon chairs the board’s Strategic Planning Committee and serves on the Finance Committee. In 2002, he was the recipient of the Providence College National Alumni Association’s Personal Achievement Award.

“We are deeply grateful for this outstanding leadership gift for a project that is critical to the future of Providence College,” acknowledged College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80. “It is particularly meaningful coming from an individual who is an alumnus, a PC parent, a former captain of a sports team, and a member of the College’s Board of Trustees—someone who knows and supports the College from several very different perspectives.”

Father Shanley continued, “Providence College is committed to creating a transforming environment where our students can flourish—mind and body, heart and soul. While we have devoted extensive resources to campus facilities that focus on the intellectual, spiritual, and social development of our students, the new fitness center will fill a significant void that has existed in the physical well-being of all our students. Thanks to Bill’s generosity and vision, we have taken a giant step forward.”

The fitness center will feature a soaring, three-story glass atrium and a new, unified main entrance to the Slavin Center, Alumni Hall, the Peterson Recreation Center, and the center itself.  Featuring an abundance of natural light, the atrium will promote fluid passage to and from the four buildings from a single entrance.

The first and second levels of the 23,000-square-foot center will offer expansive areas with cardiovascular and aerobic exercise equipment for use by the entire PC community, with one room reserved for the use of student-athletes. In addition to areas with cardio-fitness equipment and free weights, the second level will feature a glass meeting room and an observation area overlooking the College’s new artificial-turf playing field for varsity and intramural sports. The projected cost for the fitness center is $12 million.

The project will incorporate significant improvements and renovations in Alumni Hall to include an expanded and modernized sports medicine facility, a newly relocated ticket office, a new locker room for visiting teams, and new athletics laundry facilities.

Construction of the fitness center caps the College’s investment of more than $110 million over the last decade to capital projects that have enhanced the educational, spiritual, and social environment for students. In 2004, the College dedicated both the Smith Center for the Arts—its premiere teaching and performance facility—and Suites Hall, a 348-bed, suite-style residence facility. Other campus infrastructure improvements include the construction of St. Dominic Chapel; refurbishment of the Raymond Hall dining facility and the Phillips Memorial Library; the opening of McPhail’s student entertainment center; creation of the Alumni Hall Food Court; improvements to the locker rooms, athletics offices, and other facilities in Alumni Hall; creation of the artificial-turf field; and major advances in classroom instructional technology.

“Our intention is to create a true state-of-the-art facility that will enhance the health and wellness of the entire campus community and improve the fitness and training resources available to our student-athletes,” noted Father Shanley. Citing a recent study by the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers, he added that exercise and student recreation facilities were among the top 10 facilities that students in a national survey deemed “extremely” or “very important” when selecting a college.

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