ST. THOMAS' ANDERSON ATHLETIC AND RECREATION COMPLEX OPEN HOUSE
The arch over the east entrance of the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex
Photographer Mike Ekern
St. Thomas' Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex open house
Students, faculty and community members will get their first look inside the new $52 million complex Tuesday
August 30, 2010 - August 29, 2010 - After 15 months of construction and years of dreaming and planning, the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex on the University of St. Thomas' St. Paul campus will host an open house at noon Tuesday, Aug. 31, and the first opportunity to use the building on Wednesday, Sept. 1.
Before cutting the ribbon to open the $52 million complex, St. Thomas Athletics Director Steve Fritz will give a few comments about the new facility and what it means to the university. The brief ceremony will be held on the east side of the building.
"When I first came here in 1991 we had 13 very used Schwinn Airdynes, three weight benches, three squat cages and an old universal weight machine," recalled Ty Stenzel, the University of St. Thomas strength coach and director of fitness. "We won't even be in the same ball park with our new facilities.
"The difference will be like night and day. Overall, we'll be ahead of what you'd find in the country."
All faculty, staff, students and community members are welcome to visit the building until 6 p.m. Tuesday. This will be an open house for people to walk through and see what the next level of recreational athletics, varsity athletics and the academic Health and Human Performance Department will look like at St. Thomas.
Starting at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1, the complex will be open for business in the cardio and weightlifting areas. Locker facilities also will be available for use. The aquatic center will open Wednesday, Sept. 8.
Visitors to the open house will get to see:
• The field house, which has twice the cubic feet of the prior one.
• The aquatic center and its "wicked fast" pool, as swimming coach Tom Hodgson refers to it.
• The new Schoenecker Arena, with a 25 percent increase in spectator capacity and a third-floor mezzanine.
• The cardio area, with 80-plus pieces of various equipment, including 24 treadmills.
• The weight room, with 60-plus pieces of equipment, including both machine and free weights.
• Two aerobic rooms where aerobics, yoga, spinning and boot-camp classes will be offered.
• Locker room facilities. "Impressive" is the word people have used often.
• Colorful video boards, scoreboards and display boards throughout the building.
• The new location of the Health and Human Performance Department with its expanded and improved exercise physiology and biomechanics laboratories.
Construction of the 180,000-square foot complex began in May 2009. At one point it was scheduled to open in October. Moving up the demolition of the former athletics center, O'Shaughnessy Hall, and some good weather allowed contractors finish their work in time for the start of fall semester.
The athletic complex is named for Lee and Penny Anderson who made a $60 million gift that helped fund three major projects: a 725-car parking facility that opened on south campus early in 2009, the athletic and recreation complex, and the student center which is now under construction at the corner of Summit and Cretin avenues. Lee Anderson is owner of APi Group Inc., a parent company to more than 36 independent construction companies located throughout North America and the United Kingdom. The student center is scheduled to open in January of 2012.
The Andersons' gift - the largest single contribution by an individual or couple to a college or university in Minnesota - launched St. Thomas' $500 million capital campaign, "Opening Doors," in fall 2007.
Before cutting the ribbon to open the $52 million complex, St. Thomas Athletics Director Steve Fritz will give a few comments about the new facility and what it means to the university. The brief ceremony will be held on the east side of the building.
"When I first came here in 1991 we had 13 very used Schwinn Airdynes, three weight benches, three squat cages and an old universal weight machine," recalled Ty Stenzel, the University of St. Thomas strength coach and director of fitness. "We won't even be in the same ball park with our new facilities.
"The difference will be like night and day. Overall, we'll be ahead of what you'd find in the country."
All faculty, staff, students and community members are welcome to visit the building until 6 p.m. Tuesday. This will be an open house for people to walk through and see what the next level of recreational athletics, varsity athletics and the academic Health and Human Performance Department will look like at St. Thomas.
Starting at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1, the complex will be open for business in the cardio and weightlifting areas. Locker facilities also will be available for use. The aquatic center will open Wednesday, Sept. 8.
Visitors to the open house will get to see:
• The field house, which has twice the cubic feet of the prior one.
• The aquatic center and its "wicked fast" pool, as swimming coach Tom Hodgson refers to it.
• The new Schoenecker Arena, with a 25 percent increase in spectator capacity and a third-floor mezzanine.
• The cardio area, with 80-plus pieces of various equipment, including 24 treadmills.
• The weight room, with 60-plus pieces of equipment, including both machine and free weights.
• Two aerobic rooms where aerobics, yoga, spinning and boot-camp classes will be offered.
• Locker room facilities. "Impressive" is the word people have used often.
• Colorful video boards, scoreboards and display boards throughout the building.
• The new location of the Health and Human Performance Department with its expanded and improved exercise physiology and biomechanics laboratories.
Construction of the 180,000-square foot complex began in May 2009. At one point it was scheduled to open in October. Moving up the demolition of the former athletics center, O'Shaughnessy Hall, and some good weather allowed contractors finish their work in time for the start of fall semester.
The athletic complex is named for Lee and Penny Anderson who made a $60 million gift that helped fund three major projects: a 725-car parking facility that opened on south campus early in 2009, the athletic and recreation complex, and the student center which is now under construction at the corner of Summit and Cretin avenues. Lee Anderson is owner of APi Group Inc., a parent company to more than 36 independent construction companies located throughout North America and the United Kingdom. The student center is scheduled to open in January of 2012.
The Andersons' gift - the largest single contribution by an individual or couple to a college or university in Minnesota - launched St. Thomas' $500 million capital campaign, "Opening Doors," in fall 2007.
