Red Rocks CC breaks ground on new rec center - #lakewoodnews

Most community colleges don't have recreation centers.

The come-and-go nature of these campuses means that students are usually only on campus when they need to be, and then they're carrying on with their lives.

Red Rocks Community College is not most community colleges.

On Feb. 4 the college hosted the groundbreaking of its 38,000-square-foot rec center --; the result of years of work by students and staff.

"The construction of our Student Recreation Center is the direct result of our student body being empowered by our campus administration to serve our students and improve our campus," said Barbara Goodnight, president of the Red Rocks Student Government.

The facility is scheduled to to open a year from now, and will include gym space, weight/cardiovascular area, dance/exercise studios, climbing and bouldering wall, an outdoor fitness deck, student meeting and gathering spaces, and improvements to the current multipurpose field.

"What an asset this is going to be for us," said Dr. Michele Haney, president of Red Rocks. "I want to congratulate all the students on getting here, especially those in student government who lead the way."

The rec center's roots can be traced back to 2012, when the school finished its Students Health Clinic. Mark Squire, coordinator of Student Activities, said interest in a better recreation center started almost immediately. The college's current recreation area is just 2,000-square-feet, and only has room for free weights and cardio.

"There was a core group of student government people who started looking at how to get a better center, and how much it would cost," Squire said. "The first thing to do was a feasibility study, and the students worked with the (architectural firm) Davis Partnership on that."

For much of 2013 and into 2014, students hosted a variety of workshops, surveys and informational events to elicit input on the project. The total price tag was estimated at $12 to $13 million. Students determined the best way to pay for the project was a fee increase for all students, of around $70 per semester currently, and will increase to $125 when construction is complete. The idea had to be voted on by the student body, and in May 2015, was approved by a 70-percent margin.

"After the fee increase was approved, we still had to get a lot of approvals from various bodies," explained Cathy Rock, construction manager. "We also had to hire architects, designers and contractors for the project."

The fees the students pay will provide the necessary funds for construction, staff and upkeep for the next 30 years, Squire said. The center will be available to all fee-paying students, and school employees will be able to access it for a fee. Non-fee paying students (like online students) may opt in and pay the per-semester recreation center fee.

In addition to health, the rec center will serve as a great place for students to meet their peers, Rock said.

"Red Rocks is a very unique place, and they will have this special place for students," she said. "This center will provide opportunities that most community colleges don't."

For Squire, the project demonstrated the dedication of the student body to making the school a better place.

"What has impressed me most throughout this process is the commitment of so many students," he said. "You saw so many working hard for something that wouldn't be for them to use --; they just wanted to make sure the school had it for future students."

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