Steve Bilsky: Pottruck: the realization of a long-standing goal

Today is the official opening of the David Pottruck Health and Fitness Center and, while it takes place months ahead of the expected completion date of January 2003, for those of us who have been around Penn for a while, it is, in fact, long overdue.

It wasn't long after Gimbel Gym was built in the 1960s that the reality set in that Penn would require more in the way of recreational space. Over the last three decades, there have been several attempts to build a new recreation center, but none ever came to fruition for the usual combination of reasons -- lack of funds, space or not being high enough of an institutional priority.

A change in momentum occurred when Judith Rodin became President in 1994. President Rodin believes in the physical well-being of those who learn and work in the Penn community and made improved recreational opportunities a part of the Agenda for Excellence.

This meshed well with the Recreation department's own mission, which looks to provide first-rate recreational programs to all of the nearly 40,000 individuals who work and study at Penn. We have one of the largest intercollegiate programs in the country, featuring 33 varsity teams with more than 1,000 student-athlete participants. Under the direction of Michael Diorka, we have significantly expanded our intramural and club programs for undergraduate and graduate students. And now we have addressed the critical needs for those who simply want a place to work out, stay fit and have fun.

Steve Bilsky is the director of the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics.

While it was critical to have President Rodin and Provost Barchi's support, the next major challenge was identifying adequate funding to build the kind of comprehensive facility we envisioned. We are tremendously grateful to Dave and Emily Pottruck, and Bill and Louise Meiklejohn, who, along with others, made generous gifts to allow us to build a first class facility with state-of-the-art equipment and necessary amenities.

We recognize that the first year will have its bumps as we work diligently to put the finishing touches on the building and learn more about the habits of our patrons. But we're not going into this blindly. Recognizing that after all these years we finally got the opportunity to build a facility, we wanted to make sure it was well planned.

Several years ago we hired the nationally renowned firm of Brailsford and Dunlavey, which has helped scores of institutions plan and implement campus recreation facilities. Their research included both electronic surveys and focus groups as we attempted to learn what our faculty, staff and students wanted included in a fitness center in the twenty-first century.

We worked with the officers and staff of Bally's Fitness whose expertise has been invaluable in planning the facility and determining what types of equipment would be appropriate.

Finally, our staff has visited numerous other campus facilities to learn what is working and what isn't. We feel very confident that this advanced planning has resulted in a multi-faceted, flexible facility that will stay current as fitness trends evolve over time.

We hope that the Pottruck Center becomes more than simply a place to exercise. The architectural layout, plus amenities like the juice bar, pro shop and atrium, should make it a comfortable place to socialize. One of the things we learned from focus groups is that both graduate and undergraduate students wanted a facility that integrated students, faculty and staff and one that facilitated social interaction.

We also learned that our users would work out at various times of the day, so we're opening early in the morning and closing late at night. We know that location was important, and we think that 37th and Walnut streets is ideal. The varied multi-purpose rooms of the facility will allow everything from instructional classes to receptions to tournaments.

Recognizing the scarcity of space on campus, the Pottruck Center will also be available for use by various Penn performing arts groups. Most of all, we want it to be a place where everyone feels comfortable, from the novice to the expert.

Benjamin Franklin founded our university based on a practical education that set Penn apart from other Colonial colleges. Included in his plan was the need to balance the health and well-being of the students. We hope that the Pottruck Center serves Franklin's vision.

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