Groundbreaking set for Recreation and Wellness Center

Groundbreaking ceremonies for one of the most anticipated buildings on campus one set for 10 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 1. The event is free and open to the campus community.

The groundbreaking is for the new 153,000-square-foot, recreation and wellness facility to be built on the north end of the Hornet Stadium.

It is part of the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex, which includes the stadium and the newly completed 26,235-square-foot Eli and Edythe L. Broad Fieldhouse located at the south end of the stadium. That facility houses the football and track and field programs.

The Wellness and Recreation Center is being built on the site of the old 1950s-era fieldhouse that was demolished over the summer. The new facility will feature a fitness center, an indoor track, gym courts, racquetball courts, a rock climbing wall and the student health center. There will also be a massage therapy spa, a baby-sitting center and space for Peak Adventures.

Groundbreaking ceremonies will include free lunch, a rock climbing wall, live music by “The Pets,” and the Taiko Dan Japanese Drumming Ensemble, a BMX show and give-aways.

“This is exciting because students and the campus community have waited a long time for this center,” says Mirjana Gavric, Recreation and Wellness Center director. “Recreation centers have become a major social area on many campuses because they are a positive place to have fun, to let off some steam, or just get in a workout.”

Construction begins in October and should be completed by September 2010. When completed, the center will be available to students, staff, faculty and alumni.

For information on the groundbreaking ceremony, contact Gavric at (916) 278- 7904.