For all University of Oregon students who decided 2015 will be the year to get fit and active, you are in luck.
The Student Rec Center has officially re-opened after 12 years of planning and 16 months of construction.
The $50 million facility was paid for completely by student fees. The building has 110,000 square feet of new space and 40,000 square feet of renovated space.
The new rec center is divided into four sections: Downtown, Midtown, Uptown, and Old Town.
The building provided new spaces for different types of training and classes, including a 12-lane, 25-yard pool, upgraded basketball courts, new rooms for cycling and cross-fit classes and a 32-inch screen video array in the lobby.
UO student Ashlee Peterson was one of the first students get to use the brand new gym.
“I am obsessed with it,” Peterson said. “I love all the new equipments and the fact that it is so clean and functional.”
Kevin Marbury Director of physical education and recreation said many features of the building not only to accommodate students’ needs, but also are a break-through from the original.
“When you walk into the main lobby, you can see a lot of ‘wow’ factors right away,” Marbury said.
The Student Rec Center was designed to be ran as an energy-efficient building. The Leighton pool is now contains reused rainwater, the building has natural lights from an adjustable roof and the floor in the cardio section is warmed up with hot water.
Thanks to these features, the building has earned LEED Platinum certifications, becoming the third rec center in the nation with the title, according to size.
The RETURN OF THE REC celebration took place last night at 6 p.m. and the grand opening will take place this afternoon at 4 p.m.