Grand Valley's Board of Trustees approved construction plans for a new 138,000-square-foot building that will house the Movement Science program and indoor recreation activities.
Construction is expected to start in May and should be complete in August 2008. Cost for the project is estimated at $18 million. The building will support the needs of a growing movement science program and increases in club sport and intramural participation.
The building, which will be across from the Fieldhouse on Laker Drive, will have three classrooms, a six-lane indoor track, 100-yard indoor sport turf field, student lockers and shower rooms, and a training room.
One of its biggest users will be the men's and women's track teams.
Head coach Jerry Baltes said it will be "one of the best
competition facilities for indoor track and field meets around the
Midwest."
Movement science has seen a 37 percent increase in
the number of students taking classes in the last five years. During
that same time, increases in club sport and intramural sport
participation were 69 percent and 48 percent, respectively.
Patti Rowe, associate professor and chair of movement science, said the building will meet the needs of current and future students.
"In addition to providing standard classroom space, the multi-purpose classroom area will provide opportunities for large group fitness instruction," she said. "Students have asked for this and we cannot satisfy this need in the current facility."
Also at the December 11 board meeting, trustees approved plans for an addition to Mackinac Hall. The 83,000-sqaure-foot building will consist of a lower level and four stories with connectors to the exisiting building. Construction on the $20 million project is expected to begin by April and be complete by August 2008. It will house 22 classrooms, a GIS lab and 130 offices.
James Moyer, assistant vice president for Facilities Planning, said both buildings will be built to Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) specifications, energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
