HSU Breaks Ground on New Fitness Facility

(Abilene, Texas) The HSU Fitness Center groundbreaking took place on Thursday. The Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, and current students attended to celebrate this exciting new development.

Construction of the 35,000 sq. ft. facility will begin in the coming weeks beginning with the demolition of the old tennis courts. The project is estimated to be completed by early 2018.

Dr. Mike Waters, Chair of the Board of Trustees, shared how the fitness center works with HSU’s mission to provide a holistic and healthy university experience. Dr. Perry Brown, Dean of the Irvin School of Education, highlighted the importance of the facility for academic classes like “Wellness for Life.”

Trustees, vice-presidents, deans, faculty, and students alike enjoyed posing for pictures, shovels in hand.

The Fitness Center will include new cardio and strength training areas, multi-sport courts, outdoor training areas, conference rooms, and locker rooms. Other features include a turf multi-use athletics court and an outdoor gathering pavilion.

HSU students, faculty, and staff will be able to use these facilities for individual exercise, intramurals, and games of pick-up basketball or volleyball.

The space will be used for required activity classes such as “Wellness for Life,” but it will also house various non-academic classes such as Zumba and Insanity. These free classes will offer students a variety of exercise opportunities without requiring them to enroll and attend each class time.

Students who attended the ceremony expressed their excitement about the new facility, bringing their own shovels, spades, and even spoons.

“It shows that our school doesn’t just care about having a nice center for the athletes, but for the students as well,” said sophomore Sarah Rebmann.

The $7 million budget for the project was allocated from a $25 million bond secured with support of the City of Abilene. HSU will also be using money from the bond to help support the upcoming construction of new campus apartments.