This fall, College View Academy K-12 is breaking ground on a new facility that will combine the lower grades (formerly known as Helen Hyatt Elementary School) with the high school in one modern facility. The school will be moving to the corner of 56th and Calvert Street where Union’s 49ers Field is currently. The donors funding the new academy building are setting aside money to ensure the university has even better athletic fields when the project is finished. Once CVA moves into the new facility, new fields will be created where the academy buildings are now, two blocks closer to the university’s residence halls and academic facilities. 

“I am incredibly excited about what God is doing in the life of our school,” said Sarah Wilson, principal at CVA. “The possibility of expanding and strengthening Christian education in Lincoln is inspiring, and we believe it reflects a shared commitment to investing in the next generation. A future K-12 campus represents more than a new building; it represents an opportunity to provide students with an exceptional Christ-centered education in an environment where they can grow academically, spiritually, socially and physically.” 

The new athletic fields will be larger and have been designed to meet the changing needs of our students and community guests. They will include two soccer fields, one baseball diamond and three pickleball courts. Because the current fields aren’t regulation sizes, the university already rents off-campus fields for varsity soccer games. During construction, intramural games will also use off-campus fields around Lincoln. Once the fields are ready, the university will be able to save money by playing varsity games on campus and generate more income from community rentals. 

This is actually the second time 49ers Field has moved. Its original location changed in 1967 to make room for Prescott Hall and student parking. The fields remain a memorial to the Union students who lost their lives in World War II: Aaron Oswald, Henry Kramer, Homer Uglow and E. Marion Wade. The original field was dedicated in their memory by their friends and fellow veterans in the Class of 1949. 

“We really couldn’t ask for better neighbors than CVA,” said Yami Bazan, the university’s president. “When we need more gym space for volleyball and basketball tournaments, they happily open their doors. When our education majors need observation hours, they can just cross the street. Many of our faculty and staff are CVA parents, and many CVA alumni become Union alumni. It’s been a close relationship going back to when the secondary and elementary school began as departments of Union College. Their good news is our good news, and we are all pretty excited about what the new facilities mean for both the academy and the university as we continue our educational missions.”