By Michael Kennedy
A new campus recreation center is a top priority for the University of Louisville Student Government Association. The SGA held a town hall forum on Wednesday, Nov. 18 to hear student concerns about the plan. The recreation center is a feature of the university’s new master plan, and is currently still in the early planning stages.
According to an SGA official, the Department of Intramural and Recreational Sports has compiled a list of features it would like to see in the new facility: eight basketball courts, one court with bleachers, a multipurpose floor, a jogging track above the basketball courts, four racquetball courts, 21,000 square feet of workout space, meeting rooms, yoga rooms, an auditorium and a smoothie bar. The facility would be 125,000 square feet in total, about 40,000 square feet larger than the University of Kentucky’s recreational center. The offices of Intramural and Recreational Sports would be located in the new facility.
As part of the plan, the current Student Activities Center basketball and racquetball courts would be converted to a student gathering space, while the workout area, weights area and locker rooms would stay there.
Funding sources for the recreation center are still unclear, but SGA President O.J. Oleka said that if students seemed to support the new facility, it could be paid for by a new student fee. It is projected to cost $30 million to $40 million. Oleka said there are three “menu options” for students: a high, medium and low plan. In the highest option, the student fee would be an estimated $100 to $150, and the recreation center, turf field and SAC renovation would be included. Oleka estimated the center could be built in four years under this plan. At the two lower options, the turf field could be omitted, as could the SAC renovation.
An SGA official suggested that workout classes, aerobics classes and intramural registration fees could be free to students, and included in the fee. As part of the plan, the hours of operation would be extended beyond the current hours at the SAC gym.
Several students asked about parking for the recreation center. Under the current plan, the recreation center would be built in a parking lot between Kurz and Billy Minardi Halls. Oleka said the planning was too early to have parking specifics, but he assured students there would be nearby parking for students.
“I wouldn’t be too concerned about there not being any parking,” Oleka said. “You couldn’t responsibly build a new building like that without having some place to put all the cars.”
