View of new Fitness Center (from Main St.)
View of new Fitness Center (from Main St.)
Student Fitness Center and McCormick Hall opened in January
After years of waiting and planning, the campus community now has a new fitness and recreation facility for students. The Student Fitness Center and McCormick Hall opened at the start of the spring semester.
Located where Dunn-Barton and Walker residence halls once stood, the $50 million facility provides 170,000 square feet of space for Campus Recreation Services and programs within the School of Kinesiology and Recreation.
For more information about the construction process, go to Facilities.IllinoisState.edu/facilities_planning/projects/details/student_fitness_kinesiology.
The new facility consists of basketball courts, an indoor track, aerobic spaces, and a climbing wall. There are also classrooms, laboratories, and office space. Students were invited to a celebration event in January, at which time President Al Bowman and Student Body President David Marquis were the first to climb the rock wall.
Go to CampusRecreation.IllinoisState.edu to see video of the student event, which included hundreds in a game of tag. Details of the facility are there as well.
How sad!!! Why is progress so much important than history? Dunn-Barton and Walker halls are now added to the list of historical buildings (most famously Old main) that are some-how considerably unworthy to belong in the campus. I wonder, I do wonder, than if 50 years any of buildings in the quad will still be there.
I doubt that the students dreams were the same as those of the university… I wonder, when the dreams will include actually improvements in education and not improvements in our BMI.
How sad….
Agreed!
I can agree that the placement of the fitness center and sacrificing awesome buildings like Dunn-Barton is sad, however, our campus was lacking an adequate fitness center. In this day and age of health conscious behavior what is sad is that it took this long to get a facility like this on campus. It will serve all populations and is a positive addition to any environment. This was a project our student government worked on in the early 90’s, and I was told was worked on for generations before that, so it truly is a dream come true!
I lived in Dunn. The buildings were going to need seriously updated in the immediate future anyhow. I was still sad to see them go, but I think the college realized they made a mistake building the former rec center 3+ miles away from campus. No one used it!! Especially with the athletes in Tri-Towers were another mile away. After all the money they spent, it was impractical for students and not used.
I too lived in Dunn and have many fond memories. But neither Dunn-Barton nor Walker Hall were particularly noteworthy buildings and they were not on the Quad. During the 23+ years since graduating from ISU, the campus has no doubt changed significantly – and for the better. This situation is distinct from, say, Fell Hall, which was more architectually significant and located on the Quad. The restoration and conversion of that building was clearly warranted and appropriately carried out.
I completely agree with Redbird – Class of ’87. I lived in Walker 2 years and Dunn 1. I remember broiling when I was in a South facing room. It was hard to study anywhere in Walker 1 South during heating season. It sounded like a hammer banging on pipes. I’m glad the new center is centrally located. I hop they continue to keep the Quad’s historical buildings as much as possible.
I am so glad to finally see that this project is complete. Looking forward to seeing to the new student fitness center and McCormick hall. I worked at the student fitness center as a student and also had the bulk of my classes in McCormick hall. It’s about time enjoy this amazing accomplishment for years to come redbirds.
Dunn-Barton and Walker were not anything special to write home about. Neither are Atkin-Colby and Hamilton-Whitten…hopefully those eyesores are somehow included in the master plan upgrade. Many people fail to realize the importance of a state-of-the-art rec facility; prospective students are more likely to choose a school based on contemporary recreational amenities and programming that help offer benefits for a healthier lifestyle. Healthier, happier students function better academically, retention rates improve, and the university is better as a whole.
What’s sad is the failure to recognize the need for change and a better university community.
Too bad we were not able to “buy bricks” before they demolished the buildings…would have made great bookends and conversation pieces…I have seen the building nearly finished in late October. It is awesome!
But Darlene, you were able to purchase mementos, see: http://blogs.ilstu.edu/illinois-state-news/2008/06/30/central-campus-residence-hall-mementos-on-sale/
Old sure doesn’t mean significant, good to see such an important upgrade.