April 7, 1997

Siting of new East Field fitness center to be subject of April 17 forum

By Francine Tyler

UCSC students, faculty, and staff and members of the Santa Cruz community are invited to a public forum on Thursday, April 17, to discuss possible sites for a new fitness and weight-training center in the East Field House area.

The forum takes place from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Fireside Lounge at Cowell College.

At the forum, the project architects will describe the two recommended sites--one at the existing outdoor basketball courts and another just southwest of the tennis courts--for the 10,600-square-foot center, said Dan Wood, director of the Office of Physical Education, Recreation, and Sports (OPERS).

BOORA Architects of Portland, Oregon, will also discuss each site's advantages and disadvantages and give comparative cost estimates.

"We are interested in getting community input into these siting decisions," said Wood. "At later forums, we'll discuss the actual design of the building and how it will be laid out."

Students voted to fund the construction and maintenance of the fitness and weight-training center in last spring's student elections. When complete, the center will offer state-of-the-art exercise equipment, including StairMasters, weight machines, and treadmills. The vote also provided money for improving irrigation, drainage, and the surface of the East Field, for pool lights, and for additional storage and maintenance buildings.

Construction of the center is expected to start in January 1998 and be completed in June 1999, Wood said.

For more information, call OPERS at (408) 459-2531.

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