The Board of Visitors has added the construction of a new recreation center to the University’s plans for long-term major construction projects.
Intramural-Recreational Sports Director Mark Fletcher said his department proposed the construction of a 125,000 square foot building, smaller than the Aquatic & Fitness Center but larger than the North Grounds and Slaughter recreational centers. The proposed facility is largely expected to expand upon the services provided by existing recreational facilities on Grounds.
Fletcher explained that these needs include providing more space for activities that have recently become more popular on Grounds.
“Five or six years ago we didn’t even have indoor soccer,” Fletcher said. “Now, when we have indoor soccer, we have about 170 intramural indoor soccer teams.”
Fletcher noted that the increase in support for activities such as soccer, martial arts, and dance has in part been a reaction to the growing diversity of student interests, which he attributed in part to an increase in the number of international students.
“As the University becomes more diverse, then how we need to service [the community] becomes more diverse,” Fletcher said.
He also noted that the University is searching for a more permanent home for the Outdoor Recreation program, which is currently housed in an old gas station near the Cavalier Inn.
“If the Outdoor Recreation program were located in the [Aquatic & Fitness Center], there would be a lot more awareness of it,” Fletcher said. “We think the same thing will happen in this new facility.”
Overall, Fletcher attributed the need for a new recreation center to the University’s culture.
“As a University, we continue to be at the top end of the percentage of undergraduates that use our facilities and programs,” said Fletcher. “It’s just part of the lifestyle of students at the University, and we need to keep up with that need.”
—compiled by Prateek Vasireddy
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