Building to serve as an Owl Club meeting area, and house marketing and ticket operations

A new athletics building has found its way next to the Oxley Center, thanks to generous athletics donor Wally Sanger and others.

The Wally Sanger Owl Club Center was officially introduced Friday morning at a ribbon cutting ceremony, as the latest Florida Atlantic athletics department building.

 “It’s certainly a great day for us in athletics,” Athletic Director Craig Angelos said Friday morning. “Thanks to Wally’s generosity we are able to build this building.”

Providing the Owl Club with an official place to meet, the building will also house new offices for the athletics department as well. The ticket office, marketing office, call center and development office will now have a space of their own, instead of being buried on the second floor of the Oxley Center.

“It’s a customer service thing, and a convenience for us,” project manager Terry Mohajir explained. “We had space issues in the Oxley center, and now we have created space and made everything a one stop shop for Owls fans.”

Mohajir, FAU’s Associate AD for External Relations, was in charge of the development and fundraising for the 3,000 square foot free standing building. With a total cost of over $330,000, Mohajir found funding outside of the athletic department for the construction.

“All of it was donated by Wally Sanger, James A. Cummings, and Joe Balistreri,” said Mohajir.

Sanger, the primary donor of the project, owns a West Palm Beach construction company, Royal Concrete Concepts, and has lived in south Florida since 1981.The company designed and constructed the complex with the help of James Cummings Construction. FAU football founder, Joe Balistreri in turn, furnished the entire office building.

 “I want to thank FAU for the recognition; it’s a wonderful recognition to have that named,” Sanger said. “I really appreciate the opportunity to make this happen.”

The biggest impact that the center could have on Owls fans will be the space that has become available to host events and future project layouts for the athletics department.

“It’s going to be the catalyst of the marketing center for the new stadium,” Mohajir explained.

The complex will house mock ups of the future stadiums club and premier level seating, giving donors an opportunity to see what the stadium seating will be like, long before the actual construction is completed. A virtual sales center has been created for the stadium in the building, as fans and donors will be able to walk in and purchase tickets.

“This was the precursor to the stadium, we needed a place to house and sell our premier and club seating and this will do all of that,” Angleos explained.

“Because of our partners stepping up and taking ownership in FAU, we were able to get this beautiful building beyond what we even conceived."