Harris Construction wins bid

Fresno State Athletics Director Scott Johnson announced that Harris Construction of Fresno has been awarded the bid for building the Ricchiuti Family Academic, Strength, and Conditioning Center and the expansion of the athletics department's Duncan Building.

The expected ground breaking for the project will be Feb. 24 with an anticipated completion of October 2004. Proposals for the project were accepted until the deadline on January 15, 2004 . Harris Construction was one of four companies to submit a proposal.

This project has been under consideration in recent years and has been approved by the California State University and Fresno State 's administration. The cost of the project is approximately $4.9 million.

"We are very excited that Harris Construction will be working with us on this very important project," said Johnson. "Harris Construction has a great reputation in the industry and community. I know these two facilities, each long overdue on our campus, will be first-class. We desperately need a proper facility to better serve our student-athletes' academic needs and the Ricchiuti Center will do that. The expansion to the Duncan Building will bring our football program's facilities up to a higher standard, getting us out of small and antiquated locker rooms, meeting rooms and offices."

The Ricchiuti Family Academic center is a nearly 6,000 square-foot building, which will be located adjacent to the current Fresno State strength and conditioning center, which will also bear the Ricchiuti name. It will be a first-class, state-of-the-art facility serving over 500 Bulldog student-athletes. It includes study and computer labs, office space for Student-Athlete Services personnel, women's soccer offices and meeting rooms.

The expansion to the Duncan Building will add over 22,000 square feet of space that includes a new football locker room, new teaching and coaching classrooms and offices. It will also include an auditorium with theatre-style seating.

"I'm very excited to get started," said Tim Marsh, President of Harris Construction. "We've been interested in this project for a number of months and we are glad to get the bid and see this project to fruition. We have not worked at Fresno State for about 12 years. It will be good to be out on the campus."