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Representatives from the University of Maine traveled to Washington, D.C., Feb. 6-7 to meet with facility planners and project managers from Brailsford & Dunlavey, and discuss the feasibility of a new on-campus recreational facility.
Brailsford & Dunlavey presented the results of a feasibility survey posted on FirstClass in November. A total of 2,900 students filled out the survey.
Those who attended the Washington, D.C., conference were Executive Vice President and Provost Robert Kennedy, Vice President of Student Affairs Richard Chapman, Special Adviser to the Provost Sue Tyler and Student Trustee and Student Government President Matthew C. Rodrigue.
The group toured fitness centers at George Washington University, the University of Maryland and Loyola College in Maryland. The three colleges have facilities similar to those proposed for UMaine’s new recreational center, including indoor tracks, basketball courts, racquetball courts, pools, hot tubs, saunas and locker rooms, Rodrigue said. He said he was impressed with the large number of students using the facilities.
Rodrigue considers a new recreation center as a way to catch up with competition. According to the survey results, 1,204 students rate UMaine’s recreation facilities as “satisfactory” compared to recreation facilities at other universities.
“All our major competitors have facilities,” Rodrigue said. “We’re doing the right thing to catch up.”
Almost half of the survey participants indicated that improvement to the current recreational sports facilities would have a “significant impact” on quality of life at UMaine.
“Given the level of interest, I think [this is] an important project for us to do,” Rodrigue said.
The new facility would be dedicated to recreational activities and working out, Rodrigue said.
Currently, students must walk through the winding hallways of Memorial Gym to work out at Latti Fitness Center, and to the opposite end of campus to Lengyl Gym for activities such as aerobics classes.
“We’re hoping if we centralize all these services, then it’s going to be more convenient for students,” Rodrigue said.
Brailsford & Dunlavey performed a market survey of private health clubs in close proximity to campus to gain a better understanding of the choices available to students, faculty and staff. The average individual membership fee for the clubs reviewed is approximately $35 per month, according to the Brailsford & Dunlavey report.
The firm reported that 87 percent of student respondents agreed to some kind of fee for use of new or improved recreation facilities. The majority of respondents indicated their support for a recreation center option requiring at least a $75 student fee increase, and 67 percent supported the $100 option.
The $100 option is categorized as a comprehensive “state of the art” 98,000 square-foot new student recreational center including access to facilities such as squash courts and an eight-lane recreational swimming pool. The $75 per-semester fee would go toward a reduced 74,000 square-foot recreational center. The third option presented on the survey was a $50 semester fee toward a small 51,000 square-foot addition or expansion.
“They’re still working everything out, so it’s tough to give monetary figures,” Rodrigue said.
