August 26, 2002

STATE-OF-THE-ART STUDENT RECREATION CENTER OPENS AT BOISE STATE

The public and media are invited to attend the Grand Opening Celebration of Boise State University’s new 86,000 square-foot state-of-the-art fitness, sport and recreation facility on Saturday, Aug. 31, from noon to 3 p.m.

A special media tour of the REC will be conducted Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 1:30 p.m. Larry Blake, director of architectural and engineering services, will lead the tour and be available for comments.

Saturday’s celebration includes comments by President Charles Ruch, Peg Blake, vice president of student affairs, former ASBSU presidents Jeff Klaus and Christine Starr, and current president Chris Mathias.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will begin at 12:30 pm. Festivities continue with cake, beverages, facility tours and commemorative give-aways. Local student bands Danger Baby and Kawa Taiko will perform live music.

Opened to the Boise State community on Monday, Aug. 26, the REC hosts a myriad of fitness, sport and recreation activities. The center’s primary focus is drop-in, open-time recreation, but programs such as intramural sports, club sports, outdoor programs and group fitness activities will also be available. Facilities, programs and equipment will accommodate all levels of users from novice to experienced.

Sport and fitness facilities include a multi-purpose, 10,000 square-foot gymnasium with a Connor’s Uni-Force wood floor, four racquetball courts, a squash court, three badminton courts, three volleyball courts, four wallyball courts, a 3,000 square-foot group exercise studio with the latest shock absorbing flooring, two 1,500 square-foot multi-purpose rooms, a classroom, an elevated running track with a Mondo surface, over 100 pieces of the latest cardio equipment (stair climbers, elliptical machines, treadmills, upright and recumbent bicycles, rowing machines), two separate areas for selectorized equipment, Paramount Strength equipment and 200,000 pounds of free-weight equipment.

Special services will also be available for a fee, such as nutritional counseling, personal training and massage. The REC also offers Kid Fit – a babysitting service available at affordable prices – and REC Response – a program providing basic first aid to intramural and club sport participants under the direction of a certified athletic trainer.

The REC is available for use by Boise State University students, faculty, staff, families, affiliates, emeriti and alumni. Membership is free to full time students with 8 credit hours or more, and $45.50 per semester for part-time students. Faculty, staff, affiliates and emeriti memberships are $210 per year. Spouses, partners and dependents of students, faculty, staff, affiliates and emeriti are also eligible for membership. Alumni memberships are $315 per year; spouses and partners can be added to the membership.

History

In 1995, the Associated Students of Boise State University (ASBSU) set out to create a state-of-the-art fitness and recreation facility that would attract and benefit the students, faculty, staff and alumni of the university, and serve as a symbol of pride.

Boise State students conceived the idea for the facility. The process included a successful fee hearing, approval from the Executive Budget Committee, presentation to the State Board of Education and final approval of the Board. The fee was put to a vote by the student body in spring of 1995, and several ASBSU presidents carried the torch for the continuing project over the past seven years.

The $12 million budget included site costs and $1.2 million in furniture fixtures and equipment. The funds for the design, construction, equipment, furnishings, operations and maintenance were totally generated through student fees.

The facility was designed by Yost Grube Hall Architecture and built by RSCI Construction. The three-year project was managed through the collaboration of the university, Design West and the Department of Public Works.

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Lisa Cochran Kathleen Craven

Student Recreation Center communications and marketing

(208) 426-2546 (208) 426-3275