Rec. center opening date pushed back to Sept. 2007

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The grand opening of the new student recreation center has been moved from the fall of 2006 and rescheduled for the fall of 2007.

Due to difficulties finding an appropriate site, the timetable for the project’s completion was changed, according to Vice President of Administration Janet Waldron. The difficulties arose because of permitting issues, wetland assessment and the number of sites available.

“I am very excited about the results,” Waldron said. The final site for the rec center will be on Rangeley Road, adjacent to Bumstock Field.

Waldon noted that Bumstock Field will not move, but did not say if Bumstock stage will be demolished.

“[The project] will enhance Bumstock and will help provide a stage area to make it more accessible,” Waldron said.

Construction of the recreation center should start in September 2005, and continue until March 2007.

The proposed 85,000 square foot facility will feature an indoor jogging track, a three-court gym, two multi-purpose rooms, two racquetball courts, a lap/leisure pool, a whirlpool and sauna and a weight-fitness area. It will also include a juice bar, locker rooms, and an equipment checkout zone.

Five engineering firms were interviewed last friday by the rec center building committee. Project consultant Brad Noyes, vice president of Brailsford & Dunlavey, said the committee is now deliberating and reviewing the presentations.

Student Government President Cortlynn Hepler, also on the Recreation Center Building Committee, is working to ensure that undergraduates’ needs are fully implemented into the project. Hepler, a senior financial economics and psychology major, said in an e-mail that he is looking for a firm that has “proven experience in the strength of their team, the capability to bring out the unique qualities of our campus in a design and the ability to design a superior and energy-efficient facility while working within budget constraints. It is also important [that a firm] provide flexibility for future renovations or expansions.”

Kenda Scheele, associate dean for students, said the new facility will improve student life on campus by providing a feature that existing and prospective students are looking for.

“[The Recreation Center] will be a beacon drawing in both on-campus students and prospective students,” Scheele said.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 13th, 2004, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.