Proponents of the new university recreation center overcame a vast set of obstacles in obtaining its approval during 2005.
ASUU’s Student Senate and General Assembly, the Board of Trustees and the Board of Regents approved the building of the recreation center, originally proposed and researched throughout 2004.
However, the approvals were not achieved without contention throughout the year.
Despite 67 percent student approval, as found by Rocky Mountain Data polls, a variety of student groups opposed the recreation center.
The None of the Above Party and other vocal students were against the recreation center primarily because of the $60 mandatory student fee that is expected to be implemented once the recreation center opens.
With approval from the university, the recreation center proposal will now be taken to the Utah State Legislature primarily to receive bonding approval for the recreation center.
Since the recreation center is to be paid for by non-state funds, the Legislature must be convinced that the university will be able to pay back the bond.
ASUU leaders said matching or exceeding the bond payment would probably result in a good bond rating.
The $60 student fee will likely be combined with private gifts and donations to pay back the bond the Board of Regents determined.
The recreation center is expected to meet the standards set by Hastings and Chiveta, a national architectural firm in campus recreation buildings.
Their study showed that current facilities failed to meet the needs of students and should be three times the size of the Field House-the current recreation area.
The recreation center will contain individual fitness areas, a rock climbing wall, swimming pools, a running track, sports courts, multipurpose rooms and a juice bar.
ASUU’s goal for the recreation center is to keep students on the U campus and add to the sense of community by increasing physical and emotional health.