Plans are underway to more than double the size of FIU’s Wellness & Recreation Center at the university’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus (MMC) in west Miami-Dade by fall 2017.
“Recreation centers are essential in helping us to provide wellness services to our students,” said Larry Lunsford, vice president for FIU’s Division of Student Affairs. “Today, rec centers are also a place for relaxation and socialization. We know that exercise is good for your health, both physically and mentally, and healthy students do better in school.”
The project is funded with $22.8 million from the Florida Capital Improvement Trust Fund, $2.4-million over three years from FIU’s Student Government Association and $600,000 from FIU’s Department of Housing. The existing space is 50,000 square feet. The expansion will add more than 60,000 square feet, in addition to 15,000 square feet of outdoor recreational space. Construction is set to begin spring 2016. Once complete, the center will surpass the national standard for fitness space for colleges– roughly one square foot per student.
Highlights of the recreation center expansion include:
- A three-court basketball gymnasium, for a total of five indoor courts
- 6,600 square feet of fitness space to accommodate state-of-the-art cardio equipment
- A 6,500-square-foot strength room
- 3,000 square feet of additional men’s and women’s locker rooms, including two gender-neutral shower/changing rooms and two gender-neutral bathrooms
- 3 fitness rooms dedicated to Spinning®; martial arts and mind/body fitness; and small-group, functional training
- A racquetball/squash convertible court, plus one dedicated racquetball court
- An indoor jogging/walking track
- Two outdoor basketball courts
- A sand volleyball court surrounded with outdoor seating
“I know it will be an excellent facility for us,” said Robert Frye, director of FIU’s Wellness & Recreation Center – MMC. “The expansion will give us a competitive edge since we’ll be able to offer students, faculty, and staff more wellness and exercise options.”
The upgrades were designed by HKS Architects and will be built by Moss Construction, the same team responsible for the three-time award winning Parkview Residence Hall. The existing recreation center at MMC will remain open throughout the construction.
For a virtual tour of the renovation, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kK6wsqly44.
