Athletic Department gears up for announcement of new facility

Students' long-standing request for a new athletic complex is the "primary goal" of the Athletic Department, and concrete plans for the approximately $100 million facility --Ewhich may contain new weightrooms, basketball courts and an indoor track -- will be announced later this year, Athletic Department Director Steve Bilsky said Friday. "The climate is right, and the University administration sees the immediate importance [of building a new facility]," he said, adding that cost estimates for the proposed facility are in the "tens of millions [of dollars]." But the location of the proposed complex has not yet been determined because University administrators have not finalized plans for the future status of Superblock, and construction or renovation to the high rises might affect the new complex, Bilsky added. Additionally, Bilsky said the department has begun exploring funding for the proposed complex, and has examined how other schools -- such as Tulane, Emory and Northeastern universities -- financed similar projects, each of which cost approximately $100 million. Although the schools conducted extensive fundraising with both alumni and corporations to offset the high cost of the new buildings, Bilsky said the schools also rely on student user fees to pay for some of the construction costs, as well as upkeep of the facilities. Bilsky said he believes members of the University community would be willing to continue paying a user fee of under $200 if the Athletic Department builds "the right type of facility." Currently, students pay a $125 per year fee to use the Penn Fitness Center --Ea limited cardiovascular facility located in Hutchinson Gymnasium -- while faculty and staff pay $190 for the year. But many upperclass students living in Superblock or on the north side of campus choose to join the more expensive University City Nautilus because of its close proximity to their residences. A one-year membership to the facility costs $349. With plans for the new building held up as University administrators continue to debate the future of the high rises, Bilsky said the Athletic Department is implementing several short-term projects designed to provide students with improved recreation facilities. The recently announced creation of a weightroom in the rooftop lounge of High Rise South -- which will open in 1998 -- is one such project. Bilsky stressed that although the project will provide current students with immediate benefits, he opposes "Band-Aid-type approaches" which delay the construction of a central athletic facility. Earlier this year, Recreation Director Mike Diorka also stressed the importance of a new recreation complex. "[A new complex] would serve a great social function for the University by bring together both faculty and staff," he said. Last year, the Athletic Department hired the Brailsford & Dunlavey consulting group to determine what types of recreation facilities are needed on campus. After extensive research through focus groups and e-mail surveys, the firm reported that students were interested in having a more centralized facility and identified a weightroom and indoor track as top priorities. Bilsky said the new complex would create a stronger sense of University community by providing a centralized location for recreational activity. "Not only will the improvements add to better workouts, but it'll also add to a better campus life," he said.

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