Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/445760
ED MCLAUGHLIN When I drive into the UU parking lot adjacent to the Siegel Center each morning, the loud sounds of hammers, bulldozers and cranes greet me. The sounds of construc on make me so happy. A week ago, orange cones blocked the streets behind the Siegel Center and huge trucks moved up and down Marshall Street, all signs that construc on has started on the new VCU Basketball Training Complex. The facility that existed last spring only on construc on drawings and a simulated video has started to grow out of the ground over the last few weeks. The excitement has built from concept to construc on vehicles moving dirt and digging deep holes that are the first part of the facility's founda on. This special edi on of the Ram Report truly embodies two of our VCU Athle cs Core Values – collabora on and commitment to community – as we have joined with Corporate Team members Barton Malow and VMDO to design this par cular magazine. The construc on of the facility has so many intricate and intriguing aspects that we felt an ar cle or web story wasn't enough to sa sfy our fans' and stakeholders' curiosity for the project. We have decided to devote an en re Ram Report magazine to show Ram fans an inside look at the facility, the construc on and the tremendous companies building it. Inside these pages, you will learn about the different people charged with designing and building our Training Complex as well as some of the features that will make this facility unique amongst others around the country. Our student-athletes and coaches deserve a first-class facility and VCU Athle cs will accomplish that goal. I know our fans and donors expect nothing less and this Ram Report will detail the measures we will take to accomplish that goal. VCU Athle cs cannot thank Barton Malow and VMDO, the contractor and architect of the project, enough for their hard work and crea vity on this project. Since day one, their professionalism, ingenuity and vision has aligned with our needs and even exceeded our expecta ons. This facility is an enormous project, but Barton Malow and VMDO have responded impressively to the task of construc ng a complex that will help us win more championships and secure our place as a Top 25 program. We look forward to the day in the fall of 2015 that we can see the work of Barton Malow and VMDO in walking through the new VCU Basketball Training Complex. Un l then, I hope you enjoy the pictures, stories and insights of this special edi on of the Ram Report. Let's Go VCU!