The physical presence of UConn\u2019s new Student Recreation Center has already made an impact on campus. At 191,000 square feet of area and four stories tall, its statistics are those of a well-conditioned fitness fanatic grown to giant proportions.<\/p>\n
It sits on Hillside Road and completes an impressive intersection with Jim Calhoun Way, joining the School of Business, Gampel Pavilion, and the UConn Bookstore.<\/p>\n
As massive as it is in size and shape, the real impact to UConn will be what happens inside the impressive structure.<\/p>\n
\u201cParticipation in recreation and fitness welcomes people into a community and, at the end of the day, what do we all want? We want to belong,\u201d said UConn Recreation Executive Director Cyndi Costanzo \u201988 (CLAS). \u201cWe want to be part of something, and this center will provide a fun, inclusive environment for anyone. There\u2019s not many place likes that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new center, which had been in the conceptual phase for years, officially opens for business on Monday, August 26 at 6 a.m. There will be an open house on Thursday, August 15 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sunday, August 25 at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n
The facility will be open to all members of the university community. Undergraduate and graduate student in Storrs with a valid ID will have use of the building through a fee paid each semester as part of their normal bill. Students at UConn Health, UConn Law, and the regional campuses can opt in and pay a fee on their bill as well.<\/p>\n
Discounted memberships are available for alumni, faculty, and staff, including affiliate employees. Faculty and staff will also be able to purchase a \u201cplus one\u201d membership, which allows them to bring their spouse or life partner with them to the facility. Members of the general public will also be able to become members.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have seen how recreation centers can transform campuses,\u201d said Costanzo. \u201cRight now, we see 2,500 student participants in a day, which means we service 675,000 participants a year, which translates to about 80 percent of our student population. Those numbers are really, really good. With the new center, conservative estimates put us a 6,000 participants a day and well over a million for a year. If we consider ourselves an active community of engaged students, it is going to be transformative to what they do.\u201d<\/p>\n