Southeast Community College (SCC) in West Burlington, Iowa, recently opened the new Blackhawk Rec Center for students after over a year of development and construction.
The two-floor, 29,000-square-foot facility features two full size basketball courts, another full-size multi-use court, a walking/jogging track, a weight training area, cardio space, an athletic training room and more.
Melissa Flores, the director of Student Activities/Blackhawk Recreation Center, said the facility is the culmination of a long-time vision of SCC’s president Michael Ash.
“The $5 million facility has been a great addition for campus life,” said Flores. “The Blackhawk Recreation Center opened its doors the first day of fall classes in August. There has been a buzz around campus since its opening. Students now have a space on campus to utilize in between classes or on the weekends. The facility allows students to take a break from class and utilize the facility during the day, in the evenings and on the weekends.”
The center was designed by the Shive-Hattery architectural firm out of Davenport, Iowa, and SG Construction of West Burlington served as the general contractor for the project. However, the achievement of the Blackhawk Recreation Center is not possible without the hours of work and dedication the college made to make this dream offering a reality.
With the immediate success of the facility, SCC hosted a ribbon-cutting and celebration for the campus community on September 14, 2023.
Below, Flores provides her top five tips from her department’s experience other schools can follow and learn from to successfully open a new recreation center of their own.
Five Tips to Success
1. Student Engagement.
Always consider the amenities and what the students will be interested in from working out, intramurals, wellness classes and any other options.
2. Features and Space.
Consider how big the space needs to be for all the features that will be included such as areas like a cardio room, weight room, courts that can be used for volleyball and basketball, etc.
3. Cost.
Rec centers are becoming more popular on campuses to promote a healthy lifestyle. They are a must-have to be competitive in recruiting students away from other colleges and universities. The cost involved is a great return on investment for the institutional enrollment.
4. Staffing.
Always consider staffing when opening a rec center. To assist operations, add additional custodial staff, students to assist with intramural programming and other team members to supervise the general safety of patrons.
5. Programming.
Programming is a very important piece to implement when opening a rec center. Fun, creative activities and sports will increase the foot traffic within the facility. Successful programming provides students a sense of campus life outside of academics.
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