West Complex/Student Recreation Center
construction will start soon

By Shirley Melikian Armbruster
University Communications

It’s won’t be long until construction work begins on the West Complex/Student Recreation Center at the Save Mart Center.

A groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled soon (watch www.FresnoStateNews.com and the Bulletin Board listserv for the date) for the campus’ newest building.

The $17.6 million building project is a recreational and multipurpose facility designed primarily by students and intended largely for their use. In addition to the recreational areas, the building includes two academic components, the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Leon and Pete Peters Educational Center.

The two-story, 92,000-square-foot building will have its entrance facing Woodrow Avenue. Sink Combs Dethlefs is the architect and Lewis C. Nelson and Sons is the builder.

The building is being financed by a $49 per semester fee referendum passed by the student body in November 2000.   The referendum stipulated that the fee increase would not start until opening of the facility. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2005, with the official opening in January 2006.  

 “This center is student-driven and student-focused, with student input into ongoing operations,” Carolyn Coon, executive director for Student Life.

Molly Fagundes, president of Associated Students Inc., said students are “estatic” to be involved in the building process and are eager to utilize the on-campus recreation facility.

“The Recreation Center will provide a wonderful environment where Fresno State students can work-out without having to leave the campus,” said Fagundes. “Having the Rec Center on campus will drive home the message that physical activity and recreation are key elements in the health and well-being of active college students.”

Fagundes also noted that the center is “yet another hallmark in Fresno State's continued efforts to bring the finest of facilities to the student population.”                       

And, she said, allowing students to be involved in developing their own plans for sports and recreation is another facet of the university’s support of collegiate sports.

The centerpiece of the building is a 13,000-square-foot fitness center that will be comparable to membership clubs in the area, Coon said. It will include cardiovascular equipment and free weights that will can be used by able-bodied and disabled students.

The first-floor of the building also will include two racquetball courts, two aerobic and dance studios that will offer classes for students, four full-size courts for intramural basketball, badminton and volleyball games, shower/locker rooms and multipurpose meeting/games rooms.

The second floor will have a jogging/running track and room for additional fitness equipment, plus administrative and staff offices.

An outdoor terrace with tables and chairs and lawn area will be located on the east side of the building.

The Leon and Pete Peters Educational Center on the first floor is a 300-seat multi-purpose auditorium that can be used for public programs, speakers, workshops and conferences, as well as Fresno State classes.  It will be outfitted with state-of-the-art “smart” classroom technologies. The center was made possible by a gift from the Leon S. Peters Foundation and the Pete P. Peters Foundation.

The Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will be located on the second floor and will have its own entrance. The   center (www.lylescenter.com) was established in March 2001 with a gift to the university from William Lyles, founder of Lyles Diversified. The center serves as a resource center for entrepreneurs, inventors and those seeking to further build their business.

The center supports and encourages entrepreneurship and invention by assisting students, faculty and clients in the Central Valley through outreach, education and research.

The center currently is housed across the street from its future home, at 2743 E. Shaw Ave. Dr. Timothy Stearns, a Fresno State business professor, is the director.

After the West Complex/Student Recreation Center is constructed, it operations will be run through the California State University, Fresno Association with oversight by the university’s Division of Student Affairs.