Come Celebrate New Mount Holyoke Boathouse

State Officials Visit Mount Holyoke Boathouse

SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (April 21, 2010) - The Mount Holyoke community is invited to the opening of the College's newest facility - the new College Community Boathouse. An opening ceremony, complete with tours, refreshments, speeches - and perhaps even an alumnae race - is set to take place rain or shine from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 25 at the new facility located along the Connecticut River at 240 Ferry Street in South Hadley (in close proximity to Brunelle's Marina).

Shuttle van service will be available to and from the boathouse beginning at 11:00 a.m. The service will continue until just after noon and then pick up again at the conclusion of the event at 1:30 p.m. The shuttle will loop between the boathouse and the Kendall Sports and Dance Complex parking lot. Some parking will be available at the boathouse as well as along Ferry Street near its driveway.

Among those joining President Joanne Creighton, head crew coach Jeanne Friedman, the crew team, and scores of crew alumnae, will be state and town officials, including State Representative John Scibak, and many others who have helped the project navigate a sometimes swampy regulatory and approval process.

The $2.1 million community boathouse is situated on an 8.5-acre, College-owned parcel of land off Ferry Street. The 4,750-square-foot, single-story, barn-style facility contains boat storage, two small bathrooms, and a warm-up/stretching area. In recent years, the rowing program has been housed at Brunelle's Marina. The new facility will allow the College to expand its already significant commitment to community rowing programs

The College has won widespread support for this project from the Town of South Hadley and a variety of public and private organizations, including the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation; the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection; the South Hadley Department of Recreation; Northampton Youth and Community Rowing, Inc.; the Community Adolescent Resource and Education Center of Holyoke; and the Foundation for Rowing Education of Northampton.

In late January, Richard Sullivan, the Commonwealth's Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, joined State Representative John Scibak to tour the new boathouse.