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| These are conceptual renderings of the proposed recreation center. |
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| Students vote March 5 and 6 on whether to approve the $90 million project. |
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| The building would be 126,000-square-feet in comparison to the current 11,000-suare-foot Bronco Fitness Center. |
On March 5 and 6, Cal Poly Pomona students will vote on a referendum that would raise fees by $149 per quarter in order to pay for a $90 million state-of-the-art, eco-friendly recreation center near the Bronco Student Center.
This proposed Associated Students, Inc. building would include four times the amount of weight and fitness space compared to the current Bronco Fitness Center. The project would include a lap pool, raised quarter-mile track, a three-court gymnasium and five multipurpose rooms for activities such as dance, yoga, group exercise and martial arts.
The recreation center and an adjacent outdoor soccer field, which is also included in the proposal, would significantly increase the space for club and intramural teams to practice and play. ASI leadership believes that the center would promote greater campus pride and support healthy minds and bodies.
The recreation center would mainly be funded through student auxiliary fees because the state of California does not provide funding for the construction of non-academic facilities. If the recreation center referendum passes with a simple majority vote, the mandatory fee could cost up to $149 per quarter, after the building opens in 2012. That figure could increase 3 percent each year in keeping with inflation. Given that the projected opening date is four years away, it is mostly likely that future students would be affected by this increase, not current students.
Mandatory student auxiliary fees, not counting fees that pay for instruction, are currently $176 in the fall and $165 each in the winter and spring. That amounts to $506 for students attending three quarters an academic year, according to the Office of Financial Aid. For a full breakdown of 2007-2008 fees, visit https://www.dsa.cpp.edu/financial_aid/costs.asp.
If the referendum is approved by students on March 5 and 6, student fees could be about $953, per three quarters. Students would be able to use the facility without paying for a gym membership.
The proposed recreation center would be built in the area surrounding the current location of Darlene May Gym (which would be renovated andenhanced to preserve its legacy) and adjacent to the swimming pool off the south side of W. Eucalyptus Drive. The 126,000-square-foot recreation center would provide additional and state-of-the-art facilities to support a wider range of educational and out-of-classroom learning opportunities. Features include:
- 300 new campus jobs
- Four times the weight and fitness equipment than the Bronco Fitness Center
- Indoor, elevated quarter-mile jogging track
- New three-court gymnasium
- Renovation of Darlene May Gym into two new multi-activity courts for basketball, volleyball, badminton and indoor soccer
- Five new multipurpose rooms
- Rock climbing and bouldering wall for novice to expert climbers
- New student life quad and activity field for intramurals
- New recreation pool with outdoor deck and lifeguards on duty
- Two new racquetball courts
- Juice bar and lounge space
The proposed building would also undergo an eco-friendly construction process and have many environmentally sustainable design features, including a green roof and passive heating and cooling. The project's design aims to have the equivalence of a LEED Silver Certification.
ASI has been dedicated to the research and feasibility of this project to provide more recreation and wellness opportunities to the campus community and to meet the needs of future students. The proposed project stems from the South Campus Study of Athletics, Kinesiology and Health Promotion and ASI facilities conducted in 2004. The results of the study showed existing facilities do not meet the current needs of the campus and are in urgent need of updating and/or replacement. This is due to the increased participation in intramurals and student health and wellness programs.
Also the current facilities do not meet the recreation space allocation by the American College of Sports Medicine for weight and cardiovascular equipment of a campus this size. After the study, ASI student leaders and staff visited local universities and their recreation centers. Twelve of the 23 California State University campuses have centers of this nature.
Following positive survey results seeking students' opinion about a new center, the ASI Senate voted unanimously in March 2007 to proceed with the feasibility study for a recreation center, and to engage the services of HGA architects and programming consultant, Brailsford & Dunlavey, which conducted focus groups with students and the campus community in May 2007. ASI leadership believes the proposed center would alleviate many of the major problems facing recreation at Cal Poly Pomona and provide many benefits to students and the campus.
As of Jan. 22, ASI has launched an information campaign about the center. In the coming weeks, a group of students called Team 2012, led by ASI President Chris Wyrick, will be giving numerous presentations about the proposed project. Team 2012 will provide important information and answer questions that range in topic from sustainability to the potential auxiliary fee increase.
Team 2012 can be requested to make presentations at club meetings, department meetings and classrooms by visiting the Recreation Center 2012 Web site and clicking on the Team 2012 link.
More details can be found at www.reccenter2012.com/. Questions can be sent to Recreationcenter2012@asi.cpp.edu.