Department of Sports and Recreation Director Tara Parker attended Thursday’s SGA meeting to discuss updated plans for the Dr. Betty L. Siegel Student Recreation and Activities Center and announce that the newly renovated center would require additional staff members.
In the meeting, Parker shared the fly-through design video that showed what the center will look like after completion. The video is available on YouTube if any students are interested.
The expansion is set to include two rock climbing walls, outdoor tennis courts, two swimming pools, an extended workout area, an indoor running track and an indoor soccer complex.
“Student employment will rise with the addition of this center,” Parker said. “The center will be needing positions such as lifeguards and more facility staff.”
She said for now, the plan is for the new center’s hours to stay the same, but that they may change in the future.
In terms of food, “originally we had a protein bar as the original plan for the building,” Parker said, “but we learned that dining services would be doing something similar within the same area so we decided to avoid duplicating services.”
She added that there would be vending machines in the center and tables for people to sit at so they can bring their own food and eat in the center without having to exit the building.
The center is being built in phases and does not have an exact date to finish just yet, but construction is expected to complete sometime in fall of next year.
“Construction on the gym- phase of the center will start at the end of this semester,” Parker said. For students who are graduating, the Recreation and Activities Center will offer a discounted membership rate for alumni who wish to use the facility when it is completed.
