Clark Hall to undergo $93 million in renovations

Completion may still be a few years away, but you’re going to like the next renovation project scheduled for the South Campus.

Clark Hall, the 1930s-era athletic and recreation facility, is scheduled for a $93 million makeover that will bring an integrated recreation and wellness approach to the South Campus. Plans include a large addition with a second gymnasium, a renovated fitness center and dance studio, and access to student health services on the Main Street campus.

The project, part of a historic building boom at the university and a recreational “gamechanger” for South, is currently in the design phase, but the campus community is beginning to get a peek at plans and renderings.

The project is expected to go out to bid in October. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2027. Clark will be closed at the end of this semester and activities relocated.

Brian F. Hamluk, vice president for student life, says it’s exciting to see planning near completion for the Clark Hall addition and renovation to serve as the South Campus Wellness Center.

“Being able to modernize and expand this facility to integrate our student wellness resources on South Campus is a significant advancement to supporting students and their health and well-being needs,” Hamluk says.

Plans for Clark developed from a 2021 wellness and recreation master plan that recommended a comprehensive facility on South where recreation can be co-located with access to student health, counseling and health promotion services for a “seamless wellness experience,” Hamluk says.

The project is also vital for creating a “true heart of the campus,” particularly with the added density on South from the relocation of the Graduate School of Education and the pending move of the School of Social Work.

“Creating that sense of belonging and the opportunity for students from different programs to meet each other is something we have worked really hard on for the South Campus,” says Kelly Hayes McAlonie, director of campus planning. “That’s something the campus really needs.”

Designed by prominent Buffalo architect E.B. Green and constructed in 1937 as the Irwin B. Clark Memorial Gymnasium, the historic building has long been in need of a facelift.

Plans call for a 15,500 square-foot addition connected to the northeast side of the building, adjacent to Diefendorf parking lot. The addition allows for creation of a first-floor glass entrance and lobby to serve as the new main entry to the historic campus building.

“Clark is a beautiful building, but there are way too many doors and wayfinding is really hard,” Hayes McAlonie says. “The historic entries are going to be kept in place but will look more like French doors so that the memory of them is there and we’re not interrupting the historic character.”

U-shaped columns will support the new addition from beneath the second floor, where there will be a new full-size gymnasium for intramurals and recreation.

While the addition’s granite-and-glass façade complements the original building, it has a more modern look than Clark’s Georgian Revival style, says Hayes McAlonie. She uses the metaphor of a “treehouse” to describe the addition’s design.

Inside, Clark will be completely renovated. The project will create an “interior street” that runs the length of the building and unites the three floors with a central staircase.

Clark’s first-floor swimming pool will be refurbished, as will its existing gym, home to decades of memories from university sporting events, concerts and campus life.

The project will include renovations to the fitness center on the basement level and the dance studio on the upper level, where skylights will be installed to draw in the natural light.

Renovations also will address much-needed modifications to comply with standards for the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“The renovation of Clark Hall will be a game-changer for South Campus,” says Sharon Sanford, senior associate athletic director for recreation and sport management.

“The new spaces and upgraded amenities will create more opportunities for participation, support overall well-being and foster a stronger sense of campus connection through recreation,” Sanford says.

Diamond Schmitt Architects is the consultant. The hope is that the project will help the building stand out and “reframe” the Bailey side of the South Campus, Hayes McAlonie says.

“They have really prioritized restoring the historic grandeur of the building as an iconic landmark on campus while creating a welcoming sense of arrival for the university community,” Hayes McAlonie says.

While preserving Clark Hall’s historic character, the renovation will also result in a more sustainable, low-carbon building that produces no scope 1 — direct emissions from sources like heating buildings with natural gas — or scope 2 — indirect emissions that come from electricity the university purchases — emissions. In addition, it will include the first geothermal wellfield on South Campus as part of the university’s decarbonization strategy for the campus.

Clark is scheduled to be completed in fall 2030. 

In preparation for construction, Clark will be closed at the end of the spring semester, Sanford says.

Acheson Annex will be repurposed by the fall semester to temporarily house recreation and intramurals on South, she says.

“The annex will offer dedicated fitness spaces, including cardio and weight equipment, fitness classes and CPR training, ensuring that students and campus community members continue to have access to essential recreation and wellness programs throughout the renovation process,” Sanford says.