Erin’s Gym, located on Sterling House property, was built in memory of Erin Marie Babineau, who was tragically killed at the young age of 10 in a tour bus accident while on a family vacation in 2005. Erin’s Gym is managed by Erin’s parents, Jeff and Donna. It enables Sterling House to expand its youth sports and camp programs and it also provides an inside sports venue during inclement weather.
Erin’s favorite colors, blue and purple, are incorporated throughout the interior of the building. PureGrass, a new, artificial grass surface provides the playing surface. The interior walls are padded and a netting divider can be raised and lowered to separate the area into sections. The exterior of the building showcases a brick accentuated lower facade and cupola on top of the cool red, standing seam roof. Building details satisfy the town requirements for construction within the historic district.
The 12,000 SF Varco Pruden pre-engineered steel building provides indoor athletic fields for sports and camp activities. The 2,300 SF mezzanine space houses viewing and training areas. A community room is also available for meetings and children’s parties.
The Business Situation
After accommodating Sterling family legacy property restrictions along with the Town of Stratford historic district constraints, Sterling House and the Babineau family selected Pat Munger Construction Company, Inc. to build Erin’s Gym.
The Challenge
Maximize gymnasium indoor space to facilitate numerous sports such as soccer, softball and football and meet ADA compliance regulations.
To construct an architecturally pleasing facility whose exterior complements the Sterling House and an interior that meets the needs of the Babineau family.
Outstanding cost efficiency
The Solution
A 14,000 sq. ft. Varco Pruden pre-engineered steel building with 12-in. deep straight columns and a 35 ft. clear span with a 3″:12” pitch maximizes roof height to the highest allowed by zoning regulations. The versatile gym which features a PureGrass state of the art artificial playing surface is dividable for separate use with two drop down batting cages, a protected viewing area and space for training.
The exterior color scheme includes a classic beige body color and cool red standing seam roof that features a cupola proportional in size to the length of the building. Lower facade brickwork accentuates the building. Throughout the building interior Erin’s favorite colors, blue and purple, are highlighted in the gym, community room and mezzanine.
High R-value insulation and a 96% efficient gas fired hydro air HVAC system provide extremely cost effective climate control for the entire facility. Exterior and interior features such as polished concrete floors in the community room and foyer were designed for low maintenance. High efficiency overhead bay fluorescent lighting illuminates the gym.
Results
The local community benefits by having access to a wonderful recreation center. Jeff Babineau stated that Munger did a phenomenal job creating a versatile commercial building on time and at
budget. He also shared that “a caring Munger team fell in love with Erin and understood the personal importance of this project to our family. Munger helped us to heal part of our loss by keeping Erin’s memory alive by helping other kids in areas to which Erin aspired. This enables us to move on to the next chapter of our lives. It is very easy to do business with Munger from consistently perfect monthly ledgers to post installation issue resolution. We felt so comfortable with Munger’s integrity and honesty. They always did the right thing. Even a year after storm damage, the same guys came back for repairs.” Munger Construction received the Varco Pruden Hall of Fame Award for Erin’s Gym in 2012.
Erin’s Legacy Provides Advantages for Stratford Youths
Erin’s legacy will live on through this youth athletic facility that will continue to improve the lives of young people in Stratford, CT. “We have so much vested in this legacy to our daughter, Erin, that we just had to do this perfectly,” said Babineau. Erin’s Gym will be donated to Sterling House Community Center in 2021, but it will always be known as Erin’s Gym.
“We are proud to have been selected for this project”, said David DeMaio, Munger president. “I can’t think of a better way to help make a positive impression on young people.”
“There’s an obvious people investment in professionalism and consistency throughout Munger Construction from top to bottom. A similar trust is engrained by Munger with their subs. This is Munger’s core competency.” – Jeff Babineau, Erin’s Gym
Teamwork Essential For Success
In this unique design/build project Munger collaborated with the Babineau family and Design Two Architecture to provide a great building that honored Erin’s legacy. As general contractor Munger Construction was involved from the design stage through building completion with Munger’s talented craftsmen involved in all aspects of the project led by Project Manager, Mike Cormier and on-site foreman, John DeSarbo. Munger also managed a gifted team of sub-contractors who contributed to a total solution. In addition, Southern CT Gas contributed time and labor and UI offered free installation. Working together this team took extra pride in constructing this special project for Erin’s Gym.
• Criscuolo Engineering – Site Plan; Planning & Zoning Coordination
• Tenedine Construction Company – Site work
• First Choice Builders – Steel Building Erection
• Massey Glass – Windows
• Total Electric – Electrical
• ENCON – HVAC
• Floors and More – Flooring
• R.A. Torre Painting Contractors
• Reflected Image – Graphics
“There’s an obvious people investment in professionalism and consistency throughout Munger Construction from top to bottom. A similar trust is engrained by Munger with their subs. This is Munger’s core competency. Munger did a phenomenal job creating a versatile 12,000 sq. ft. field house for youths on time and at budget.”
Jeff Babineau, Erin’s Gym
- Category: Success Stories, Community, Community & Education
- Service: Pre-Engineered Steel