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Iconic College Park Building Finds New Life

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (WJZ)-- Ambitious plans are in motion for an iconic building on the University of Maryland's College Park campus. The transformation of the Cole Field House is already well underway, soon to be home to a new era of medicine.

"Facelift" is an understatement.

"We aim to have the best orthopedic clinic and some of the best neuro-imaging facilities in the area," said Dr. Elizabeth Quinlan,  professor at the University of Maryland College Park.

The field house at the university will soon be home to a new multi-million dollar clinic unlike any other with an emphasis on sports medicine and brain injury.

Partnering with the UMD Baltimore campus, the center will service not just athletes, but anyone, professor Quinlan tells WJZ.

"This includes an orthopedic clinic, this includes occupational and physical therapy, we will have robotics and biomechanic workshops, we'll also have a research facility that's dedicated to understanding how the brain responds to injury," said Quinlan.

The state of the art center will be alongside new indoor fields and conditioning centers.

More than 60 years since the first game was played at the field house, the university hopes its roots will continue to grow.

"So the legacy of Cole is renowned. So to be able to build on that legacy to not only serve our student athletes, but also to expand our service to the greater community  is really an exciting development," said Quinlan.
History serving as the framework for the future of Maryland medicine. Construction is expected to be finished in 2018.

The university believes their initial $3 million investment will lead to more grants to supplement the program.

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