KU fitness center dedication marks grand opening of state-of-the-art facility

LAWRENCE -- The new Student Recreation Fitness Center at the University of Kansas will offer a sneak peek at its state-of-the-art facilities during a dedication ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at the center, 1740 Watkins Center Drive.

The ceremony will feature presentations by Robert Hemenway, chancellor; Mary Chappell, director of recreation services; David Iliff, chair of the recreation advisory board; and Andy Knopp, student body president.

The 98,000-square-foot facility features a 1/7-mile suspended track, a 42-foot climbing wall, 15,000 square feet of cardiovascular and resistance training equipment, free weights, aerobics and martial arts studios, and indoor and outdoor basketball and volleyball courts.

The Student Recreation Fitness Center cost $17 million and was funded entirely by KU student fees that were approved through a referendum passed in 1999.

A reception and tours will follow Thursday's ceremony. Free parking for guests will be available in lot 90, adjacent to the fitness center, which is just south of Watkins Memorial Health Center.

A Manhattan architecture firm, the Ken Ebert Design Group, conceptualized the recreation center, which was built by Topeka contractors Altmar Inc.