A facility development project begins with determining a need or area of improvement. Matt Salvatore, the fitness center director at SUNY Plattsburgh, explained how the process for its recent revamp has long been in the making as the facility opened in 1961.
The renovation project featured a revamp of Memorial Hall which wears many hats for the university. Along with housing Athletics and Recreation spaces, the building also has Sports Medicine, academic and fitness spaces.
“It became clear several years ago the building wasn’t addressing current or future campus community needs concerning all these areas,” said Salvatore. “It took some convincing to have administrators understand the importance of updating our facilities. Of course, we wanted a brand new building and have everything be state-of-the-art as everyone does, but we compromised with a renovation of the entire building.”
SUNY Plattsburgh’s Athletics and Recreation spaces nearly doubled in size, going from approximately 5,000 square feet to about 12,500 square feet. Construction took place over three years and in two phases which focused on different halves of the building. It finished spring 2024.
EXTRA CREDIT: Matrix Fitness provides equipment upgrade for Drexel UREC.
A big takeaway for Salvatore is the project helps SUNY Plattsburgh compete with colleges in its athletic conferences and similar-sized universities in the State University of New York system. The upgrades also help the college standout to potential students.
“When we compared our previous fitness space to our sister institutions, we had the smallest footprint,” explained Salvatore. “Back in the day, we had about 6,000 students on campus, but we now have about 4,000. Enrollment has declined significantly, but we still need to have the right-sized facilities and modernize our offerings.”
Originally, Salvatore wasn’t sure if he’d have to utilize existing exercise equipment, some of which was 20 to 30 years old. When he found out almost $1 million of the budget was being allotted to new machines, it was a huge advantage. They were able to purchase new furniture, AV equipment, TV sound systems, and new exercise equipment like treadmills from Life Fitness and stair climbers from Precor which connect to different streaming services. Having these smaller but important changes emphasize the increased value of the renovated facility.
“Technology has improved significantly, but you want to make sure you’re offering technology that makes sense within a college setting,” advised Salvatore. “You don’t want to necessarily purchase all the bells and whistles because you want to have the latest technology. It has to be functional for the users. I think we hit the mark.”
EXTRA CREDIT: 5 tips for opening a new campus rec center.
Another way the university is ensuring it’s serving the student body is through its emphasis on wellness. More than ever, prospective students are searching for a college that emphasizes the importance of holistic well-being, and it can make a school stand out in the increasingly competitive field of higher education admissions. Through SUNY Plattsburgh’s campaign called Cardinals Thrive, the university is creating and marketing wellness initiatives which includes the fitness center’s facility development.
“We know through NIRSA and our own research that athletic, fitness and recreation facilities are in the top five for what prospective students consider when deciding what university they’ll attend,” explained Salvatore. “Cardinals Thrive is an initiative aimed at sustainability through a holistic approach to student success. It’s hitting all dimensions of wellness. Clearly, we’re providing a valuable physical experience, but we’re also creating a sense of well-being that revolves around belonging.”
Saint Leo University had similar goals to increase community through the development of its Wellness Center which was completed in 2022. The previous facility that housed Recreation primarily served Athletics. As such, non-athletes could only use courts, pools and the fitness facility during certain times of the day.
“The Wellness Center is a much-needed building for our campus, especially for our general population of students,” said Conner Kilpatrick, the director of Recreation and Fitness at Saint Leo University. “Our athletes still come and use the facility, but they also have their own space. You should be able to work out when you want and now every student can.”
EXTRA CREDIT: The Saint Leo University wellness center.
The university worked with S3 Design to create the 59,000-square-foot facility. The fitness area nearly doubled in size with 7,000 square feet, and other features include an infinity edge pool; two courts for basketball, pickleball, volleyball, floor hockey and soccer; and an outdoor fire pit/grill area for student and member use.
For campus rec leaders pursuing similar facility development projects, Kilpatrick advised keeping practicality and student feedback in mind throughout the process. One challenge staff encountered with the new Wellness Center is the number of access points. Depending on the demand for different areas of the facility, additional staff are assigned to monitor the gymnasium, pool and fitness floor during peak times to ensure safety and prevent unregistered guests from using the facility. Hourly occupancy checks assist with making decisions on where extra staff are needed.
Ensuring you’re a part of every step of the facility development process from beginning to end can help mitigate some unanticipated pain points. Kilpatrick explained how the unofficial entrance by the pool became a challenge, so staff have added a mobile card reader station to accomodate students who wanted to enter the area directly. “Having a plan in place and coordinating proper procedure, policy and staffing was a challenge,” he said. “Be involved when you can to prevent potential problems, and you can ensure students’ needs are met.”
EXTRA CREDIT: Creighton starts renovation for additional fitness space
Kilpatrick emphasized the luxury of having a new facility to call home, but, similarly to SUNY Plattsburgh’s renovation, some projects require staff and students work around construction happening at their facility.
Another example of this is the University of Houston’s (UH) facility development and replacing all flooring in its Campus Rec and Wellness Center. The department worked with Ziegler Cooper Architects to design the facility, Robbins and Mondo to provide different types of flooring, and PLAE for the turf. With such a large task, the project was split into three parts which focused on different areas so the facility could remain open as much as possible.
“We were expected to remain open because we’re the only rec center on campus,” said Rachel O’Mara, the senior associate director of UH Campus Recreation. “Operating during a large construction project is a big challenge, but we have a great team so we’ve managed to do it.”
Replacing all flooring — including their terrazzo, wood and plastic flooring — was a must because of moisture infiltration coming through the foundation. The project addressed that problem and has presented campus rec with the opportunity to renovate other spaces as well. This included upgrading entrance turnstiles and security, converting racquetball courts to exercise spaces, and adding more functional fitness areas with equipment from Marathon Fitness.
“Even though the project started because of the foundation problem, it gave us the opportunity to work on some things we were waiting and hoping to address,” said O’Mara. “Before, we never had the funding or ability to pursue these projects, but the team had to rip out so much to address the flooring, it’s allowed us to add some upgrades.”
EXTRA CREDIT: Cost-effective renovations.
The project began in April 2023 and was projected to be completed in May 2024, but the completion date was moved back to August 2024 because of unexpected delays. For UH, the slab foundation of its Campus Rec and Wellness Center was uneven which had to be fixed before new flooring could be installed.
Dealing with these challenges can be a hassle, but O’Mara emphasized how communicating with stakeholders and users about timeline shifts should be a priority. She’s found success with posting updates on Instagram stories which help students feel connected to the process.
“Our second phase in particular was delayed,” added O’Mara. “We booked a bunch of events a year in advance thinking we were going to be done in time. Through this process, we had to learn to be flexible and communicate with stakeholders, the teams using the facility and our community. We had to answer their questions and concerns but also share what ways we were going to accommodate them for the time being.”
Providing modern solutions is especially important within campus rec and anyone working with younger generations. Figuring out how to best serve them through your physical spaces creates a wellness-focused environment that students want to be a part of. Though often a long process, facility development ensures recreation will remain a priority on your campus for years to come.
