Visitors to the Student Recreation Center may have noticed a display of detailed models and composites showcasing a plan for a future expansion, but students should not expect to see changes anytime soon.
Physical Activity and Recreation Services has released a conceptual plan calling for extensive additions to the SRC. At an estimated cost of $21.8 million, the plan was drawn on funds the center does not have.
An expansion of the SRC’s aquatic facilities forms the centerpiece of the proposal with the addition of a 12-lane lap pool, a warmer leisure pool and two spa areas. Currently, the SRC has only the Leighton pool. The proposal would also add three basketball courts and five racquetball courts. Additionally, the plan would add about 60 percent more space for aerobic and weight training, as well as enlarged locker rooms and a social space where students could congregate.

The SRC was opened in its present form in 2000 after a $20 million construction project. The University was one of many across the nation putting a stronger emphasis on building and improving recreation centers.
Although PARS Director Dennis Munroe is enthusiastic about the potential additions, he cautions students not to expect immediate changes.
“We wouldn’t want to lead them to a false hope that we’re breaking ground tomorrow,” he said.
Currently, PARS does not have money allocated for expanding the SRC, Munroe said. Furthermore, it is unlikely that the same funding sources which paid for the construction of the SRC will be available for the next phase of the project.
Original construction
Prior to the SRC, students only had access to antiquated fitness facilities, prompting many students to join private, off-campus fitness clubs, Munroe said. The SRC significantly upgraded the campus’ recreation options when it fully opened in the fall of 2000. Students paid almost the entire cost through fees.
When the University’s SRC was built, approximately $10 million toward the project came from the student building fee, which is paid by all students at the seven member schools of the Oregon University System (OUS) . The money is then combined and used to fund construction projects at individual campuses.An additional $8.5 to $9 million came from a student referendum passed in 1995. In the campuswide referendum, students voted to pay a special fee of $15.25 per term over 30 years toward the construction of the SRC.
Munroe said the push to build recreation facilities is part of a nationwide trend. Northwest schools such as Oregon State University, Washington State University and the University of Washington have recently taken steps to upgrade their facilities. Ohio State University has emerged as a national leader in the push to build larger facilities, opening a 605,000-square-foot Recreation & Physical Activity Center (RPAC) this fall. The entire project will conclude in the fall of 2007.
“Upon completion, the RPAC will be a magnificent state-of-the-art facility that will serve as the largest and most comprehensive student recreation and academic facility in the country,” said Liz Cook, a spokeswoman for Ohio State University.
RPAC cost $140 million, with Ohio State students paying an assessed fee of $76 per quarter.
A second step
When the SRC opened, the eager student response stunned Munroe.
“We opened the doors on this facility and no one had a clue that we would have 3,500 to 3,800 students every day going through the turnstiles,” he said. “We outgrew it virtually the day it opened.”
Munroe said that because the SRC needs to allot time for physical education classes, the facility overcrowds during the peak late afternoon and evening hours.
Currently, the SRC has 12,000 square feet of aerobic and resistance training space. The proposed expansion would add 8,000 square feet. Munroe said a national architectural standard has emerged in which
universities need one square foot of fitness space per student at the school; 8,000 more square feet would bring the University in line with that standard.Munroe estimated that it will be more than 10 years before the OUS will be able to contribute. Moreover, in 2002, the University banned student referenda to raise fees, determining that they are not viewpoint neutral, meaning that funding decisions are based on what is popular with the majority rather than on merit.
ASUO Federal & State Affairs Coordinator Ashley Rees said student government supports the viewpoint-neutrality principle and does not see a need to change the rule.
ASUO Vice President Kyla Coy said that expanding the SRC is not a priority for the ASUO, adding that she does not think students are focused on the issue.
“I don’t think that a lot of students are aware that it’s even an option,” she said.
Having exhausted both its previous revenue options the SRC will need outside donations if it hopes to begin expansion.
Early indicators have shown little progress.Carole Daly, senior director of Development Operations and chairwoman of the Campus Planning Committee, said finding a donor for the SRC expansion has not been a focus of “Campaign Oregon: Transforming Lives,” the University’s fundraising drive.
“Generally, the rec center has been paid through student fees,” she said.
Munroe said the SRC is only one of many needs on campus, pointing to the EMU in particular as needing funds.
“It’s a little harder to get students to rally around recreation, but the building is falling apart,” he said.
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