MAV Center expands to fit need

“This fall’s gonna be fun,” John Marshall, Vice President for Student Services, said. “You’re gonna come on campus, and it’s going to feel brand new.”

The spring semester is just getting underway, but in addition to the completion of Escalante Hall, CMU students can already look forward to several changes to the Hamilton Recreation Center and Maverick Pavilion next.

“When you stop and think about why you have a rec center, it’s to engage students, have a diverse audience, stay well and keep their stress levels in check,” Marshall said. “It’s a very important function for us and for a student’s success.”

According to Marshall, two key areas within the rec center have adamantly called for renovation over the past few years: the cardio and strength areas as well as their equipment and the “Group X” fitness classes such as yoga, Zumba and spin.

Part of the issue with the current facility is lack of space for the growth in student activities. The total amount of MAVcard swipes in the spring of 2010 was 70,611, which jumped to 112,854 in just one year. The expected number of swipes for this spring is 137,992 – nearly double the amount in 2010.

In order for the upcoming projects to remain as cost-effective as possible, architects have begun working with the school to develop a plan to infill the current facility rather than create a new one. Funds for the project are expected to come from university reserves (existing cash funds) to refrain from taking out a bonding debt.

A plan for the development of a new mezzanine where much of the rec center contains open space is already in motion. Students can look forward to two levels of rooms for “Group X” and functional training, going from one group exercise room to three come fall.

The Maverick Pavilion will also look a lot different as Marshall and his team are coming up with a design plan to add another basketball court, knock down the front structure and build a new climbing wall while leaving the existing tent in place.

“Our current climbing wall has become really underutilized because it’s not keeping up with what current rock climbing walls need to be,” Marshall explained.

The climbing structure will serve as a new front-facing feature to the campus. Down the road, the Maverick Pavilion will undergo many other changes, including replacing the tent with a solid building.

arildefonso@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

Categorised in: News

This post was written by critedev