The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Michael Kalush Construction on the Student Recreation Center is scheduled to be finished on time. The locker rooms will be open again on Jan. 15 and the East wing, which includes a rock climbing tower, will be open on Feb. 9.

Hoping to ward off a cold winter, CSU's recreation center will have its heating system back online before the end of the week, Campus Recreation Director Dave Frock said.

The system has not been running since April because the facility was making a switch from steam to natural gas power, prompting employees to wear long pants and sometimes run space heaters under their desks, in addition to causing the center to close early homecoming weekend.

"We had to dress warm," said Vaughn Hood, a junior business major who works at the center's front desk.

The center closed early afternoon on the Saturday of homecoming weekend when the indoor temperature reached 37 degrees Fahrenheit. The decision was made in the best interest of the staff, who were not prepared for the chill.

Other than the early closure, the day-to-day business of the facility was unaffected by the cold, Hood said.

Senior Reporter Matt Minich can be reached at news@collegian.com.

CSU construction projects on schedule, on budget

Approximately $260 million in construction projects will be completed within the next eight months, Facilities Management director Brian Chase said. Due to low contracting costs from the recession, several projects will see "wish list" additions to the plans such as coffee or smoothie bars. These projects are currently planned and will go through barring any unforeseen events:

Completed Projects: University Center for the Arts, Computer Science Building, Academic Village, Research Innovation Center, Academic Training Center, Indoor Practice Facility

Rockwell Hall addition
-What: The addition, which will provide classrooms for business majors and minors, will include a student coffee bar and Wall Street style stock trading room if the project remains at budget
-Cost: $18.7 million
-Status: Scheduled to be open for classes in Fall 2010

Rec Center Improvements
-Cost: $35 million
-Status: Jan 15: The center's locker rooms will re-open Feb 9: The center's East end, including the new rock climbing tower and conference rooms will open. If the project remains on budget, a smoothie bar will also open Fall '10: The improvements are scheduled to be completed entirely, including a new multiple activity center -- featuring soccer, basketball and volleyball courts and a larger weight and cardio area.

Parking Garage
-Cost: $22 million (funded with parking fees)
-Status: The garage will be open in January and will see a half-acre of solar panels on the roof in the spring.

Academic Instruction
Building
-Cost: $45 million
-Status: Scheduled to open in Fall '10, the building will house Psychology and Family Studies classes and a 250-student theater on the ground floor. "Wish list" items include additional study space, coffee bar and High Definition projector system for theater

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