Colorado State University Groundbreaking Today on Student-Approved $32 Million Recreation Center Renovation

Note to Editors: Renderings of the building are available with the news release at http://www.newsinfo.colostate.edu/.

Construction will begin today to upgrade and expand the 20-year-old Student Recreation Center at Colorado State University – a $32 million project funded entirely by student fees.

Colorado State University students, dignitaries and members of the campus community will officially celebrate the renovation at a groundbreaking ceremony at 4 p.m. today on the Recreation Center outdoor patio.

The ceremony signifies the beginning of Phase I construction. Interior facility renovation and new construction begins mid-May. The first phase is scheduled to be completed in January 2010 with a new entrance, lobby, climbing wall, meeting rooms, massage rooms and court space. Second and third phases of construction are scheduled to be completed by August 2010.

"The university is grateful to the commitment of the students to provide their campus with a state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly recreation center," said Blanche Hughes, vice president of Student Affairs. "This new facility will help us provide students with a well-rounded campus experience, which we know is vital to their success at our institution."

Access to the Student Recreation Center remains unchanged and student programming and services will continue throughout construction.

The new center will add 60,000 square feet, bringing the total facility to 165,000 square feet that contributes to the student experience by providing such amenities as:

-24,000 square feet of cardio-weight fitness areas on two levels- equivalent to doubling the existing area

– A multi-activity gym with curved walls to accommodate indoor soccer and other sports, 1 basketball court and 2 volleyball courts

-A climbing tower, bouldering wall and bouldering cave

-An outdoor bouldering rock

-Two state-of-the-art massage rooms

– An increase from 2 to 4 fitness studios

The renovation and addition will be built using environmentally sustainable practices such as purchasing wind power and recycling more than 75 percent of construction waste to reduce what ends up in the landfill, said Judy Muenchow, Student Recreation Center executive director.

"We also plan to reuse more than 75 percent of our existing structural walls, floors and roofs," she said. "Where we have to use new materials, we’re using regional materials where possible and certified wood that is from forests managed and harvested under strict guidelines. We have done extensive energy modeling of the building to maximize our building efficiency and reduce energy consumption."

The project will feature:

-Site development to maximize open space

– Concrete and shading of hard surfaces to prevent heat absorption and reflection.

– Reduced night-time light pollution

-Water efficient landscaping with100 percent use of non-potable water and selection of climate appropriate plant species as well as significant water use reduction within the building

-Significant optimization of overall building performance. The new additions and renovation will result in a minimum of a 21 percent reduction in energy usage. Included will be high-performance glass, insulation, proper solar orientation, shading, high-performance equipment, new water cooled chillers

– Use of environmentally friendly refrigerants in the building’s chillers and controls and sensors place to monitor the system so that the ozone layer is not negatively impacted.

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