We anticipated a few engineering challenges and knew that the Butler connection would be a vital part of the process, so it was a no-brainer for me.” – Fred Burrows, of Accelerate Sports, regarding his decision to hire Gaetano Construction, a Butler Builder®, to build the 104,000-square-foot sports complex. Just another example of Butler bringing business to Butler Builders. Differentiate yourself with Butler.

1. 15BUILDING PROFIT SPRING 2016
photography by chaD Jackson photography
$6 million design-build sports complex a first for its community
Bringing athletic families
under one roof
(Above) This building’s immense size is one of the
reasons it’s impressive. Butler structural systems easily
accommodated the custom-designed, 155-foot-wide spans
and a 50-foot by 35-foot entrance canopy.
etting everywhere you need to be at once is nearly
impossible for today’s busy sports moms and
dads. One father of three, Fred Burrows, hoped to
solve the issue for parents in the Whitesboro, New York,
area when he decided to help eliminate the frequent trips
to sporting events and build a multisports complex.
“Our design-build expertise and
Butler’s engineering knowledge gave
us the right combination to build a
secure structure while maintaining a
fast timeline.”
DAVID KLEPS, GAETANO CONSTRUCTION
G
With three boys over the age of 9, sports ruled the
Burrows family calendar. Basketball, baseball and
running competitions took them all over New York
state, and throughout a 10-year period, the extended
Burrows family often talked about how great it would
be to have one sports complex that could accommodate
all sporting needs.
During competitions, Burrows would make mental notes
of the different sports centers, looking at things from
the perspective of both a parent and a coach to identify
opportunities for improvement.
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2. 16 BUILDING PROFIT SPRING 2016
provide an outlet for every member of the
family to get active.
Ideally, children would participate in youth
sporting events and leagues, camps and
clinics, while parents and family members
would be working out in the fitness center
in a different area of the complex. Instead of
chasing kids all over the place, the complex
would cater to busy schedules and give the
whole family something to do under one roof.
A business relationship evolves
As a commercial and residential material
supplier, as well as site contractor, Burrows
had plenty of experience in the development
and construction industries. That experience
And as the idea grew, so did collaboration
among the larger family. Over the last three
years, the idea matured into a plan to build
a multipurpose sports complex unlike any in
the area.
“I’d been all over the state at different sports
facilities,” Burrows said. “I knew that we could
take the best elements of them all and put
them under one roof.”
Uniting the sports experience
under one roof
Ultimately, the goal of building a local
sports center focused on accommodating a
number of different sports across multiple
age groups, from youth to adult recreational
and competitive sports. The complex would
BRINGING ATHLETIC FAMILIES
UNDER ONE ROOF
“Having worked with Gaetano for so long and knowing how much
of their business is repeat customers, we knew they would do
everything in their power to deliver a quality project.”
FRED BURROWS, ACCELERATE SPORTS
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3. 17BUILDING PROFIT SPRING 2016
and industry insight drove him to purchase
land 20 years ago, hoping to develop it down
the road.
Over the years, the Fred Burrows Trucking
& Excavating company worked on many
development projects, executing site work on
behalf of various builders, including Gaetano
Construction, a Butler Builder®
based in
Utica, New York.
On such projects, Burrows noticed the
great relationships that Gaetano had with
its clients and the trust that would be
instilled in them to complete quality
buildings. Beyond that, Burrows often
worked on projects that featured Butler
building systems. Given the familiarity, the
builder-selection process didn’t take long
once Burrows decided to make the sports
complex dream a reality.
“Having worked with Gaetano for so long
and knowing how much of their business is
repeat customers, we knew they would do
everything in their power to deliver a quality
project,” Burrows said. “We anticipated a few
engineering challenges and knew that the
Butler connection would be a vital part of the
process, so it was a no-brainer for me.”
MVP: Butler engineering
The main design consideration for the
project was to achieve clearspans that would
accommodate an unobstructed full-size
soccer field, as well as basketball courts.
To achieve this 155-foot span, Butler and
Gaetano custom-engineered the Widespan™
structural system.
“We were excited to work with Fred and
his staff on this project,” said David Kleps,
vice president of Design-Build for Gaetano
Construction. “The design-build process and
our ability to tap into Butler’s engineering
expertise allowed us to evolve the design in
order to meet project goals.”
Thanks to the Widespan™
structural system, a
full-size soccer field is
one of the many unique
features Accelerate
Sports offers.
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4. 18 BUILDING PROFIT SPRING 2016
Gaetano tapped Butler engineering to
determine how to frame the mezzanine level
to house batting cages, pitching mounds and
a running track along the perimeter of the
building.
“The track is one of the neatest and most
unique features of the building,” Burrows said.
“It caters to running and walking needs while
providing an elevated platform for viewing the
field and courts below.”
“Butler’s engineers thoroughly analyzed
the bounce factor and made changes to the
design in order to minimize vibrations along
the suspended track. Provisions were also
made in the framing for ceiling-mounted
sports equipment such as the basketball
The mezzanine level is designed to support a track and batting cages while doubling as a place to watch
basketball and soccer games on the courts and field below.
backboards, as well as two full-size dividing
nets for the indoor soccer field,” said Lucas
Saltsman, project manager/designer with
Gaetano.
“The project involved a great deal of custom
engineering with Butler to get the right
support in place,” Kleps said. “Our design-
build expertise and Butler’s engineering
knowledge gave us the right combination to
build a secure structure while maintaining a
fast timeline.”
Time to play ball
Site work, which was conducted by Fred
Burrows Trucking & Excavating, kicked off
in March 2014, and the foundations were in
BRINGING ATHLETIC FAMILIES
UNDER ONE ROOF
“I’d been all over the state at different sports facilities. I knew that
we could take the best elements of them all and put them under
one roof.”
FRED BURROWS, ACCELERATE SPORTS
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5. 19BUILDING PROFIT SPRING 2016
by June. Gaetano worked closely with Butler
Manufacturing to align schedules so that
steel arrived at the perfect time, right when
the foundations were ready. After that,
building erection and enclosure took two
months before interior work began. The full
project wrapped and opened in November,
eight months after it began.
Today, Accelerate Sports is constantly in
use by various organizations and teams.
Membership is growing each month, and
business is going well. Beyond that, Burrows’
mission of providing a one-stop sporting
experience became a reality.
“Now we can go to one place and don’t have
to divide and conquer as often as in the
past to get our kids to their activities,”
Burrows said. “We don’t miss many events
because they’re all at the same place, and
we’re glad to provide that same opportunity
for other families.” 
Accelerate Sports features a full-size indoor soccer field that also can be used for lacrosse. Three
full-size multipurpose courts lined for basketball, volleyball and futsal (a modified version of soccer)
are available for competitions, lessons and rental. A full-service fitness center for sport-specific
training and adult fitness options is available, along with locker rooms, a team conference room,
food center and a pro shop that includes apparel and sports equipment.
Accelerate also is home to a 5,000-square-foot athletic training center, which features sport-specific
athletic training and a complete fitness center. The fitness center also has state-of-the-art training
equipment for all athletes as well as team training and personal trainers.
FACILITIES FOR EVERY ATHLETE
BUILDING PROFIT®
SPRING 2016
Vol. 37, No. 1
Editorial Director:
Christen Hanna
editorial@butlermfg.com
Building Profit,®
Butler Builder,®
Butler,®
Butlerib,®
MR-24®
and
SunLite Strip®
are registered
trademarks, and Butler
Manufacturing,™
Shadowall,™
TextureWall,™
Butler
Thermawall™
and Widespan™
are trademarks of BlueScope
Buildings North America, Inc.
The “f” logo is a registered
trademark of Facebook Inc.
The “IN” logo is a registered
trademark of LinkedIn
Corporation. The YouTube
logo is a registered trademark
of Google Inc.
All other trademarks are
the property of their
respective owners.
Printed in U.S.A.
© 2016 BlueScope Buildings
North America, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Butler Manufacturing™
is a division of BlueScope
Buildings North America, Inc.
P.O. Box 419917, Kansas City,
MO 64141-6917.
May be reprinted by
permission only.
Accelerate Sports features both college- and high
school-regulation basketball courts.
ACCELERATE SPORTS
Butler Builder®
: Charles A. Gaetano
Construction Corporation
Project Executive: David Kleps
Project Manager/Designer: Lucas Saltsman
Architect: Mark Domenico
Size: 84,250 square feet (104,000 square feet
including track and second floor)
Butler®
Systems: Widespan™
structural
system, MR-24®
roof system, Shadowall™
wall system
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