This June, Stony Brook University will break ground on a $37.5 million recreation center.
Although departments across campus are coping with budget cuts, plans for the recreation center will not be put on hold. “This money is allocated for a ‘capital project’ and therefore could not be utilized for other items that are affected by the budget cuts,” said Susan DiMonda associate dean and director of student life.
Each SUNY college or university was allocated one project and the recreational center is what Stony Brook chose. Currently the intramural sport teams and club sports share facilities with the athletic department and they don’t have as much flexibility as needed.
The current Wellness Center is also too small to accommodate the students’ needs.
“Right now we are sharing our facilities with the athletic department, and that puts strain on the facility and it doesn’t give our students the access they need,” DiMonda said. Undergraduate students will have free access to the facility, which will house a three-court gymnasium for basketball, badminton and volleyball. Intramural programs will run at various times throughout the day and not be as constrained, according to Dr. DiMonda.
On the first level there will be 3,574 square feet of heavy and free weights. On the second level, there will be 11,952 square feet of weight and cardio space, as well as three fitness studios that will accommodate just over 100 people.
“This will really enhance our fitness class opportunities but will also help with our sports clubs who desire that space,” DiMonda said.
Also on the second level there will be a .10 of a mile track where students can warm up. There will be men’s and women’s locker rooms in the basement, each with 133 lockers. In addition, there will be an arena for indoor soccer, floor hockey, badminton, and basketball.
The new center will offer extra space for sports clubs that usually have a hard time geting space at the current Sports Complex. They will also have storage space, which are currently lacking.
Moreover, this will also create jobs for students who want to work for campus recreations at a time when tuition may on the rise.
Currently no decision has been made about what will happen with the Wellness Center at the Student Activities Center. According to DiMonda, the university would like to convert it into two studios for performance space.
The new facility will be open from 6:00 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. It will also have a lounge area and wireless Internet.
The new recreational center is scheduled to open in fall 2011.
