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After almost six months of construction, the Student Recreation Center is on schedule to be opened in the fall of next year. The center, which will be the largest construction project undergone by the University of Maine, has adhered to its $26 million budget; only one-half of a percent of the planning has changed since the beginning of the process.
The Student Recreation Center is the first recreation center in the country to be awarded Silver Status League Certification, according to the National Resource Defense Council. This states that not only is the project running according to plan, but it has been proficient in its environmental-friendly goals. For instance, all the trees that were removed to make room for the center have been relocated elsewhere. The project has also done its best to conserve gasoline, as all resources used in the building were brought in from no more than a 500-mile radius.
Helping give back to the state of Maine are a few UMaine graduates, including William R. Charland, the Associate Director of Facilities Management for Construction Administration. According to Charland, the building committee has tracked down several graduates working on the new Recreation Center, and is currently trying to find any additional alumni who may also be participating in the construction in any way.
The Assistant Director for Campus Activities, David Mahan, has said that for the past several years schools up and down the northeast have either been renovating or building their own recreational centers. This has been a significant issue in enrollment. And while there will be a fee attached to the tuition for both new and returning students, it will not be charged until the facility is open and ready for use.
“Everything that a sports club in Los Angeles has will be available here for the students’ use,” said Brian Lewis, director of Campus Recreation.
In fact, the new Recreation Center will offer not only a wide variety of equipment but also classes such as yoga and Tae Bo. The first floor will consist of a weight and cardio workout location as well as three gyms, including one specifically for basketball and another for volleyball. There will also be a heated recreational pool.
The second floor will be built with two racquetball courts that can also be used for playing squash, as well as two group exercise rooms, complete with a stereo system. In addition to these services, there will be a checkout station, where students can borrow snowshoes and cross-country skis for open use on the 27 miles of trails located behind the construction site.
This center will be used for more than student recreation, however. The university plans to employ more than 200 student employees and train them in order to run the facility. Not only will students be responsible for running the facility, but every fall all students will be asked to take a survey.
“We’re going to try and give a survey every fall to assess cleanliness, customer service, and the programs we’ll offer,” David Mahan said. “We’re going to run a hospital level of cleanliness.”
“This isn’t going to be just a place for the jocks to hang out,” Brian Lewis said. “But a place for all students to come and enjoy the benefits of all the equipment and services that the University of Maine is providing.”
Bangor Daily News