Fit for Everyone - New recreation and wellness center opens

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The University of Iowa welcomed an energizing new addition in August: the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center.

The $70-million, 215,000-square-foot facility, located a block south of the Main Library, is home to a 52.5-foot climbing wall, an Olympic-sized pool with spectator seating for up to 2,000, a high dive pool, two full-size basketball courts and a multi-activity court, an indoor track, a leisure pool with a “lazy river” feature and a giant video board for movie screenings, loads of natural light, and much more.

“The facility is quite impressive,” says Recreational Services director Harry Ostrander, “and it places The University of Iowa within the top 10 campus recreational facilities in the country.”

The fitness area in the new building spans more than 20,000 square feet over three floors, with exercise machines featuring embedded televisions and iPod hook-ups and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Burlington Street and Gibson Square. Along with the fitness and recreation space, the facility houses administrative offices for Recreational Services as well as UI Wellness, a human resources unit that offers health services to UI faculty and staff, and Health Iowa, the health promotion and education branch of Student Health Service.

A decade in the making

Planning the construction project, Ostrander says, was a long, thoughtful process that began a decade ago and involved visiting facilities across the country, conducting focus groups, and hiring a consulting firm. It also considered local and national trends in recreation.

“Recreational activity on campus used to center on the male-dominated intramurals, and then there was a shift toward fitness and group exercise, which were very female-oriented activities. There also has been tremendous growth in outdoor recreation—with more people interested in rock climbing and bicycle touring,” explains Ostander, who joined the department in 1969. “Students told us they wanted more fitness space, more basketball courts, and more group exercise.”

But don’t count out recreational activities at the Field House just yet, Ostrander notes. That building, which opened in 1927 and was renovated in 1985, remains open for scheduled activities such as intramurals, club sports, and lesson programs, and still operates its basketball and racquetball courts. The Field House pool will operate through May 2011, when it will be converted for another, yet-to-be-determined use.

Now, however, all patrons of the Field House and the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center must have a Recreational Services membership, or pay a daily walk-in fee. Membership includes access to all campus recreation facilities, gyms, climbing walls, pools, racquetball and badminton courts, jogging tracks, and group exercise classes and is free for enrolled students—the facility is funded primarily through students’ mandatory fees. Discounted memberships are available to faculty, staff, UI retirees, alumni, and their families. The general public also may purchase memberships.

Long-term plans, Ostrander adds, include the construction of additional recreation space immediately south of the new facility, at which point the Field House likely will close.

A resource and draw for students

Wayne Fett, senior associate director of Recreational Services and building project manager, says while the Field House continues to be functional, having a more modern facility is valuable to the University.

“It’s easier for us to manage and supervise. Plus, it will be an incredible recruiting tool—new students now are expecting the kinds of facilities they have in their local communities,” he says. “And it’s also good for retention.”

In fact, evidence suggests that students who use campus recreational facilities are more likely to have higher grade-point averages, says Tom Rocklin, interim vice president for student services.

“Our mission is student success, and student health is part of that,” he says. “It’s important to have recreational opportunities and also to develop teamwork and leadership opportunities in recreation. This new facility will offer fun, alcohol-free activities and help our students grow.”

To learn more about Recreational Services and the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, visit www.recserv.uiowa.edu.


Sara Epstein Moninger
with photos by Tom Jorgensen

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© The University of Iowa 2009