Courtesy Boars Head Inn
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Squash will soon be more than a dish served in the Boar’s Head Inn’s dining room, as a competition-level center for the sport is being built there.
By next spring, the resort will open a squash facility as part of the Boar’s Head Sports Club. The resort and the sports club are operated by the University of Virginia Foundation.
The facility will allow the University of Virginia (UVA) to elevate the sport from club to team level. The center will also be available to squash competitions at other levels and to guests of the resort.
A $12.4 million gift from the private Quantitative Foundation is funding the center. The foundation aims to develop squash at the local and national levels.
“Even before construction starts, we are hearing from parents, students, prospective students and community members who are excited about the possibilities this facility represents,” said Robert D. Sweeney, a senior vice president at UVA. “If the early signs are any indication, we’re about to experience a groundswell of interest and enthusiasm that extends far beyond the university, the community and the commonwealth.”
The 33,000-square-foot facility will have eight international singles courts with seating for 10 to 20 spectators at each court, an international show court with seating for 200 to 300, two North American doubles courts, an upper viewing mezzanine, four squash locker rooms, a team room/lounge and a coaching office.
Guests of the 175-room Boar’s Head Inn may also use the facility. The AAA Four-Diamond resort recently upgraded and renovated its guest rooms and many other public areas. The design incorporates area history and the local landscape. For example, artwork, vintage photos and memorabilia illustrate the inn’s connection to the university, Thomas Jefferson and area history.
The inn’s 22,000 square feet of meeting space includes a meeting and social pavilion.
800-476-1988
www.boarsheadinn.com
