ISU board OKs $43.9 million plan for fitness center

By Pyc Fitness
©2004-2008

Summary:You can find various technical data of fitness and the most professional fitness suppliers here,and we release the latest fitness information of different places in the world every day.

NORMAL — Illinois State University got the green light Friday to embark on a $43.9 million student fitness center to be built in the heart of campus.

The ISU board of trustees unanimously approved building the Student Fitness and Kinesiology/Recreation Center, integrating McCormick Hall into the new structure, and razing part of McCormick gym and all of Dunn-Barton and Walker residence halls to make room for the 170,000-square-foot structure.

“This is the single largest construction project in this institution’s history,” said ISU President Al Bowman.

It’s the largest, not necessarily in size or cost, but rather in its importance, he said.

Work is scheduled to begin this summer, and a finished site is expected to open in fall 2010.

The building as proposed would incorporate environmentally friendly design, energy efficiency and light and open spaces, said Richard Runner, ISU facilities director.

Besides serving as an extracurricular student fitness facility, the center also will house academic functions. It will be the home to ISU’s School of Kinesiology and Recreation, which enrolls more than 800 students in its programs.

Board Chairman Carl Kasten said the vote made Friday “an important and historic day” for the university.

He said he felt proud to be at this moment of decision after years of planning from different campus leaders and student leaders to make the facility a reality.

When complete, the new center’s western face will be along the Main Street corridor and so visually, will change that face of campus.

And from a recruiting standpoint, having such a modern, well-equipped student fitness center in the core of the campus inevitably will attract students, Bowman said.

Dave Thomas, who directs the School of Kinesiology and Recreation, said his colleagues and students generally were excited about the ability to be housed in a central location. Currently, they are spread across several campus buildings.

He noted the university first offered physical education classes in 1910. So, it’s possible the centennial anniversary of that program could be marked with classes in the new facility, he added.

The new center also will send another message, he said. “This shows wellness is important to the university, and accessible,” he said.

Ryan Cekander, ISU student trustee to the board, said his fellow students are excited about the construction.

He said all the feedback he’s received about designs and function of the building shows people are amazed by the plan.

With about $31 million of the funding comes from student fees, all ISU students will be considered to have automatic memberships. ISU will use bonds to pay for nearly $13 million of the building.

Dunn-Barton and Walker halls house about 800 students, but ISU leaders say they’ll be absorbed into the other halls as part of a long-range housing plan that calls for a gradual decrease in the number of beds available through on-campus housing.

ISU requires freshmen and sophomores to live in dorms.

Planning exercise

The majority of space in the proposed Student Fitness and Kinesiology/Recreation Center would be dedicated to activities. The rest would be divided into classrooms, administrative offices, and support areas. Here’s some areas proposed, with estimated space requirements.

Activities: 71,000 square feet

-- Weights and cardio equipment, (23,000 square feet)

-- Gyms (24,000 square feet making up one instructional gym and three general gyms)

-- Lap pool (7,200 square feet)

-- Spinning cycles

-- Aerobics rooms

-- Climbing wall

-- Racquetball court

-- Jogging track

Classrooms/labs: 28,000 square feet

-- Labs (14,600 square feet for six laboratories: bio-mechanics research; athletics training clinical instruction; exercise physiology; psychology of sports; teaching analysis; and a human anatomy computer lab)

-- Classrooms (10,000 square feet for eight rooms)

-- Classroom equipment storage

Administrative: 14,800 square feet

-- School of Kinesiology and Recreation faculty/staff offices

-- Campus recreation staff offices

-- Wellness office

-- Nutrition office

-- Nursing storage

Support spaces: 14,900 square feet

-- Men’s, women’s locker rooms

-- Juice bar/grill

-- Lounge spaces