WOOSTER, OH -- Plans for a new 123,000-square-foot student recreation center were recently approved by the board of trustees at The College of Wooster and by the city’s planning commission.

The $30 million rec center is slated for completion in January 2012. So far, college trustees have raised $22 million for the project.

“That our trustees have led the way in making such generous commitments in this economic climate tells me that they, too, see this project as a strategic priority for Wooster,” President Grant Cornwell said in a statement. “It is now time to turn our attention to the facilities that contribute to the quality of campus life for all of our students.”

Trustees said they hope the new rec center will improve recruiting and admissions at the college. The more than four-story facility is phase one of the school’s master plan to create a campus center that links together the rec center and existing athletic facilities, which will be renovated later.

The new rec center will feature a fitness center with circuit training stations, treadmills and ellipticals, rowing machines and free weights. In addition, the facility will include an NCAA-regulation 200-meter track, four intramural courts for basketball, tennis and volleyball, batting cages, new locker rooms and coaching offices.

The recession should increase the competitiveness of construction bids, according to Bogner Construction, which will handle construction management services for the facility. The college will seek LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

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