Quinnipiac students should be able to use the newly expanded recreation center on campus by Nov. 1, according to Athletic Director Jack McDonald.
The project is the second phase of expansions, the first of which took place in 1994. The changes have taken place to better accommodate the growing student body and the demands of an up-and-coming Division I athletic program.
“This addition is the perfect complement to the previous renovation,” said McDonald. “Now, the students will be able to utilize a suspended track and four new courts for athletic and recreational purposes.”
Although the project was originally scheduled to be completed by the time students returned to campus last week, McDonald said that other priorities, including the completion of Mountainview Hall, were of primary concern. Small delays are fairly routine for projects of this size.
Funded through the university, the recreation center will better service the students and improve the popular intramural program on campus.
Intramural athlete and exercise enthusiast Nicole Murphy, a junior mass communications major said, “This building will definitely attract more people to the gym and to intramural games. I can’t wait to see the finished product.”
Many students complained that the original fitness center was inadequate for the size of the student population.
Pete Weiss, a junior criminal justice major, is just one of the frustrated students who cannot wait for the building to be completed.
“Last year we always had to wait to use the machines and the gym was usually way too crowded,” Weiss said. “Hopefully the new track and expansions will alleviate that problem.”
This project is just one in a series of major renovations and expansions that took place on campus over the summer. Along with the construction of a new dorm and the renovation of the cafeteria, the expansion of the recreation center marks another impressive improvement in the quality of student life on campus.
“The primary goal is to give students a better place to exercise, for athletic and recreational purposes,” said McDonald.