With 3,000 to 5,000 students using the Rec Center daily, the Board of Regents approved the program plan and financing for “buffing up the rec” in June this year.
Cheryl Kent, Director of Recreation Services at CU, said the decision to increase student fees resulted from a democratic process in which students voted on the proposal to increase fees.
“This project required student voter approval in addition to the support and initiation of this project by the Recreation Board and CU Student Government,” Kent said.
The total estimated cost of the extensive project is $63.5 million. In order to fund the construction, student fees will increase beginning fall semester of 2013, which is the projected finish date of the project.
“The project is funded through the sale of bonds to be repaid over 25 years by an increase in student fees,” Kent said. “This project was created by, funded by, and will serve the entire student body at CU.”
Construction will include doubling group fitness classrooms as well as strength and conditioning space. The update will also include building an outdoor pool and deck area, an indoor turf, a multi-activity gym, and much more, according to the Recreation Center Renovation and Expansion Project Form, which can be found on the Rec Center’s website.
According to the Rec Center’s website, the CUSG Student Referendum “proposed a $121 to $125 per semester student fee increase to pay for bonds and operation of this project.”
The referendum goes on to say that “there is a possibility of an annual 3 percent increase but this applies only to the operational portion of the fee i.e. $19-$21; not the entire $121-$125 proposed fee.”
In April 2011, 36 percent of all eligible students voted and 72 percent of voters approved the decision to increase student fees, according to the Recreation Center Renovation and Expansion Project Form.
Daniel Rummel, Building Services Manager, said the current state of the Recreation Center is below par other universities’ rec centers; this renovation and expansion will draw more prospective students CU.
The current state of the rec center is an important issue for CU students, especially because “students participate [in indoor programs] at a rate nearly 10% higher than national averages,” according to the Recreation Center Renovation and Expansion Project Form.
“We’re excited,” Rummel said. “It’s going to be a great facility and a lot of people will enjoy it.”
For the duration of this project, student involvement is one of the most important aspects, Kent said.
“We will begin a series of three design workshops with the architects later this week and students will be involved in design and construction decisions right up until the project is completed in Fall 2013,” Kent said.
According to Kent Blumenthal, author of “Collegiate Recreation Sports: Pivotal Players in Student Success”, the benefits of an extensive recreational facility are astronomical for students.
“Students who participate in recreational sports derive three major benefits from their involvement: improved overall emotional well-being, reduced stress coupled with an increased ability to handle workloads, and improved overall happiness,” Blumenthal said. “Recreational sports programs also build self-confidence and character, promote diversity, teach team building, and improve leadership skills.”
Bruce Deakyne, a 21-year-old senior electrical and computer engineering major and chair of the CUSG Recreation Board, said he is looking forward to the outcome of this project and the benefits it will have on students.
“It’s taken us nearly four years to get to this point,” Deakyne said. “We’re very excited to continue moving forward into the design phase.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Catarina Massa at Catarina.massa@colorado.edu.
