Students vote yes on new Campus Recreation and Wellness Center
In October 2015, students were given the opportunity to vote for or against a new Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The necessary amount of students voted yes, and plans to build are already underway.
For the proposal to pass, at least 10 percent of UHCL students needed to vote, and half of those students needed to vote yes in support of the new center and the accompanying price increase for student service fees. When the votes were counted, 15.56 percent of students voted. Of those votes, 68.69 percent voted in favor of the fee, which will increase by $110 in fall and spring semesters and $55 in the summer semester.
“This percentage of voting is similar to what University of Houston (UH) experienced when they had a vote on their recreation center,” said Andrew Reitberger, director of student life.
The next step was for the Board of Regents to approve the proposal, which they did at their Nov. 19 meeting. Now, the search for an architecture firm has begun, and once a firm has been chosen, the design will begin.
“Interviews are currently scheduled for the top five architect/engineering firms that submitted qualification proposals for consideration,” said Ward Martindale, associate vice president of facilities management and construction. “There is an eight-member evaluation committee (four from UH System and four from UHCL) that reviewed all the submitted proposals and graded the firms.”
Evaluations from each committee member will be compiled to make a short list of firms invited to give presentations. The same committee will then evaluate the presentations and decide which firm to hire. When the committee has chosen the right firm, they will negotiate a contract with them, explained Martindale.
“There will be a core team and a large Subject-Matter-Expert (SME) team that will work closely with the architect firm to provide input into needs of the building, with the SMEs being the key contributors for their area of expertise,” stated Martindale. “Plan designs will be reviewed and approved at several stages through the design process by the UHCL team and ultimately by Dr. Staples and the executive leadership. “
Construction is expected to begin in January 2017, and fees will be included in students’ tuition beginning fall 2016. The construction site for the building will be north of the Student Services Building. Martindale stated that there are unused parking spaces in the north part of lot D, and construction vehicles and contractors will park in that area. He does not believe the construction should impact or interfere with students parking and commute.
No large parking lot is incorporated into the plans for the new building, but additional parking will be incorporated in small pockets. Lot D will be mainly used to accommodate those who want to park near the recreation center.
The Recreation and Wellness Center is meant to be an area where students can have somewhere to unwind, relax and stay healthy. It will house an indoor track, indoor basketball courts, a multi-purpose activity court, areas for cardio exercise and weight lifting, locker rooms, a lobby area and offices for Campus Recreation employees.
“I certainly think that the Recreation and Wellness Center will benefit students and provide more opportunities for student recreation,” Reitberger said. “Students will be able to run indoors as well as play basketball, volleyball and soccer. I think it will be an incredible, positive addition for our students.”
Students should have access to the new facility by July 2018, when the completion of the building is expected. Until then, students can find more information on the Recreation and Wellness Center FAQs page.
