Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Groundbreaking for Recreation and Fitness Center expansion Wednesday
 A groundbreaking ceremony for a 44,000 square foot addition to the University of Southern Indiana's Recreation and Fitness Center will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, on the Recreation and Fitness Center outdoor courts (inside if there is rain). This second phase of construction, planned before the original building opened in 2000, will double the square footage and transform the Recreation and Fitness Center into a community space with two new lounge areas, including a quiet area for studying. In addition, the improved facility will include a rock climbing tower surrounded by glass walls, enabling climbers to be viewed from all three floors, and an 8-foot-tall bouldering wall. (Bouldering, a branch of rock climbing, requires technical skill and provides a challenging workout.) There will be two group exercise rooms that will allow for more classes; a game room with pool, foosball, air hockey tables, table tennis, and television sets for game systems; rooms dedicated to stretching (including a stretching area along side the existing track); a larger cardio room; a combative room with punching bags, wrestling mats and the like; a health assessment room; two locker rooms; and new and additional office space. Most of the cardio machines and weight training equipment will be replaced with new, and more fitness equipment will be added. The current cardio and weight training areas will be converted into a third basketball court with a new wooden floor. The addition will be constructed on the hillside area between the current building and the Recreation and Fitness Center parking lot and should not disrupt operations at the facility. Total costs for the project are about $7.75 million, with the debt to be paid by student fees. The groundbreaking will include various demonstration stations introducing the Recreation and Fitness Center’s new features and including an architect’s rendering of the features. Light refreshments will be served. Contractors are Arc Construction, Peyronnin Construction, and Mel-Kay Electric. The architect is Jack R. Kinkel & Son Architects. Work is expected to be complete by fall 2009. |
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