University of New Haven Receives $3M for Athletic Center Renovations
University of New Haven President Steven H. Kaplan, Ph.D., announced late last week that the institution has received a $3 million commitment from Jeffery P. Hazell ’83, ’10 Hon. that will serve as the lead gift for the renovation of the university’s Charger Gymnasium. Once it is completed, the on-campus facility will be named in honor of Hazell.“Jeff has long been a deeply devoted benefactor and loyal supporter of Charger Athletics and innovative programs that invest in the success of our students,” said President Steven H. Kaplan, Ph.D., who will transition to the chancellor of the university as of July 1. “Our athletics teams are a great point of pride for our entire university community, and Jeff’s transformational commitment will significantly expand and upgrade our athletics facilities, creating a multi-purpose center that provides our student-athletes with cutting-edge facilities and resources that enable them to excel and to continue competing at a championship level.”
The Jeffery P. Hazell Athletic Center will be home to the university’s men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams and host large-scale university and community programs. The upgraded facility will include:
- Renovated locker rooms for all varsity sports
- Increased seating capacity and new viewing areas in the arena
- Additional team meeting space and coaches’ offices
- An upgraded lobby honoring past Charger greats and championship team.
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Hazell, a native of Marblehead, Mass, who now lives in Windermere, Fla., owns and operates Boston Lobster Feast, a chain of three popular seafood restaurants in the Orlando area, and he was the founder of Bar Harbor Lobster Co., the Sunshine State’s largest wholesale seafood company. He started Bar Harbor in the garage of his house in 1986, just three years after he graduated from the University of New Haven with a degree in hotel and restaurant management. In 2017, Hazell sold the assets of the wholesale company to Performance Food Group, a Fortune 200 company that is the country’s second-largest broadline food distributor.
To learn more about the University of New Haven, its new athletic center, and the history of Jeffery P. Hazell, click here.
