Dodgers News: Mark Walter Donates To Northwestern’s Lakefront Athletics Complex
Dodgers News: Mark Walter Donates To Northwestern’s Lakefront Athletics Complex
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Northwestern University announced Friday they will break ground on its Lakefront Athletics and Recreation Complex on Northwestern’s Evanston campus on Friday, Nov. 13.

The Lakefront Athletics and Recreation Complex will include a fieldhouse that will provide an indoor multipurpose facility for football practice, and room for Olympic sports team practices and competitions, recreational activities and non-sporting events.

Additionally, the facility will include the Walter Athletics Center that will serve as the headquarters for Northwestern football, including coaches’ offices, meeting rooms and locker rooms, plus house academic services for student-athletes and a dining area, among other amenities.

The building is named after Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter and his wife Kimbra, who graciously gifted $40 million according to the release:

The building is being named in recognition of a $40 million gift from alumni Mark and Kimbra Walter.

Walther leads the Guggenheim baseball group that purchased the Dodgers franchise from Frank McCourt in 2012.

Under the new ownership, the Dodgers’ payroll has skyrocketed, improvements and upgrades have been made to the team’s clubhouse and Dodger Stadium as a whole, and a better energy has encompassed the fan base.

Walter appointed Stan Kasten as president and CEO of the team to oversee more of the daily duties in the front office. In turn, Kasten hired Andrew Friedman as Dodgers president of baseball operations, who then added Farhan Zaidi and a slew of others to an expanded front office.

The Dodgers won a third consecutive National League West division title last season for the first time in franchise history.