Eastern Washington University
Cheney, WA
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of recreation and athletic facilities is to enrich student life, improve retention and support recruitment by providing the facilities, equipment and professional staff to support the diverse needs of the Eastern Washington University (EWU) campus and surrounding community. We are a team of dedicated experts who represent the university, providing our internal and external constituents with safe, clean, professionally managed recreation and athletic facilities by coordinating and collaborating with users for space and support needs.
FACILITY DESCRIPTION
The University Recreation Center (URC) is a three-level 117,699-square-foot recreational facility designed for students, faculty, staff and the community. The URC serves as the premier hub for student life and community health and wellness activities. This $26.3 million facility is jointly funded by the university and our students. The university funds the center’s annual operating costs as part of its general operating budget. The EWU student body will pay off the bonds over time through the implementation of a $65 per-quarter activity fee.
Lower Level
• 19,455-square-foot multi-purpose arena
• Arena seating capacity: 1,000 (spectator seating), 3,000 (floor events)
• URC customer service counter
• Leisure lobby area with tables and chairs
• EPIC Adventures outdoor program
• 30-foot indoor climbing wall
• Men’s and women’s student locker rooms
• Men’s and women’s faculty and staff locker rooms
• 335 multi-size lockers; 195 day-use only and 140 rentals
• Four arena-use locker rooms
• URC administrative offices
• Indoor parking garage with 40 metered spaces
Second Level
• 17,000-square-foot fitness center
• Gymnasium
• “The ROOST” dining area
• Lobby area
• URC tenant offices (campus recreation and health, wellness and prevention services)
Third Level
• Cardio area of the fitness center
• Two-lane 200 meter running track
PROGRAMMING
- Building tenants include: campus recreation (intramural sports, club sport federation, EPIC outdoor adventures), health wellness and prevention services, the roost dining facility.
- EWU club hockey competes in the PAC-8 conference.
- Annually host a location of the NC3 climbing competition.
- Annually host a drag show with 900 spectators, presented by Eagle Entertainment.
- Annually host Rec’Splosion, a campus recreation kick-off event that sees 2,500 to 3,000 students.
- The fitness center sees 1,500 to 2,000 participants per day.
- 2010 NBC Olympics figure skating promotional commercials were filmed in the ice arena.
- Scott Hamilton filmed a General Electric-better health conversation commercial in the ice arena in 2010.
- Hosting the 2020 United States curling national championships.
AWARDS
The university proposed silver certification to the U.S. Green Building Council for the recreation center at the end of its construction in 2008. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, is the nation’s leading advocate of sustainable design. This program promotes the use of low environmental impact materials and design methods, as well as giving special attention to natural lighting, low maintenance landscaping and other environmentally sensitive products and designs. The structure itself is a masonry and metal panel building with metal and membrane roofing. Natural lighting is used through a variety of architectural glazing which is highly efficient. Also, special attention was given to water savings and energy efficiency. For example, the building’s features include environmentally conscious bathrooms, lighting and the aforementioned low maintenance landscaping. Due to the building’s environmentally focused elements, the URC was awarded the LEED gold certification.
