KU to break ground on new student recreation center

Students who voted for a new student recreation fitness center in 1999 will begin seeing progress this spring after a ground-breaking ceremony on April 12.

Three years after the initial vote, recreation services staff, students, architects and other advisers have created a plan that will expand recreation opportunities for students on the Lawrence campus.

Amenities at the new center will include a suspended track, climbing wall and collegiate-size basketball courts-something that is not available at the current student recreation center, Robinson Gymnasium. The new center also will increase the cardiovascular training equipment for students, providing about 15,000 square feet of exercise space at the facility-more than three times larger than the existing space at Robinson.

Mary Chappell, director of recreation services, said that perhaps the greatest change for students would be the accessibility of the new center.

"This will be their fitness center," she said. "It will be available 18 hours a day. Robinson is an academic building until 5 o'clock."

The student recreation fitness center, which will be located south of Watkins Health Center, is scheduled for completion in July 2003.