Students Overwhelmingly Support Building Recreation Center
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2005
CONTACT: Joe Wills
Tel: 530-898-4143
Students Overwhelmingly Support Building Recreation Center
By a 2 to 1 margin, California State University, Chico students voted March 8 and 9 to support the building of a 110,000-square-foot recreation center at 2nd and Cherry Streets on campus.
The special election referendum was conducted by the Associated Students of CSU, Chico, who will operate the approximately $55 million Wildcat Activity Center.
The preliminary vote count in the election found 4,832 votes tallied, constituting 31.7 percent of the student population. Yes votes supporting the recreation center numbered 3,228, for 67.2 percent, while 1,573 no votes were cast, accounting for 32.8 percent.
Once CSU, Chico President Paul Zingg has approved the election results and approved the go-ahead for building construction, planning will proceed for the building’s final design. Opening is scheduled for fall 2008.
“This is a huge success for the future students of CSU, Chico,” said AS President Adam Dondro. “They will now have the facilities they need to have not just a quality education, but a quality lifestyle. It is another step towards providing our students with healthy alternatives that will help our students enter the work force as a well rounded student.”
The Wildcat Activity Center will be paid for through a $175-per-semester fee for students that will start once the center opens. The University has pledged to contribute $5 million to the cost of the project.
Among the planned features of the Wildcat Activity Center are a 15,000-square-foot weight and fitness area, three or four gymnasium courts, three multi-purpose dance and aerobics studios, an indoor track and a pool.
The Wildcat Activity Center will be open to all enrolled CSU, Chico students. Campus faculty and staff members will have the option of purchasing membership. The center will replace warehouses located at the northwest corner of Second and Cherry streets.
The building will be built following standards established by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a program begun in 1999 by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED has a common standard of measurement and complete framework for assessing “green” buildings in areas such as energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.