Central Washington University Board of Trustees Work Session November 2, 2017 1.) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Recreation Expansion
The Student Union Recreation Center (SURC) opened in 2006 when enrollment at CWU was approximately 7,900 students; the facility was at capacity the day it opened. Recently, increased enrollment has pushed the total number of students in Ellensburg to more than 9800, with the goal of eventually serving 12,000 students in Ellensburg. This growth in enrollment continues to put pressure on both indoor and outdoor recreation facilities. The only increase in recreational facilities in the past decade was the opening of one playfield at the Alder Street Recreation Complex, which is fenced, but offers few amenities. Currently the CWU Recreation Department does not have the capacity to rotate fields at Alder during the school year. Often the department must cancel events due to inclement weather, or move sport clubs’ home competitions to various sites throughout the state. CWU proposes to construct a track and field venue with an artificial-turf infield and outdoor lighting to serve the recreation needs of Recreation members and programs, NCAA Division II all athletic programs, and academic departments. The project will provide a safe and secure place to exercise, teach, practice and compete. The new facility also will meet state, regional, and national standards for athletic competition, something the current track facility cannot provide. The track and turf field would be well lit during evening hours and located near student services. The facility expands access to recreational programs by providing the opportunity to schedule numerous recreation, intramural, and club sport activities beyond daylight hours. This track and field turf addition will add more than 1,000 hours to programming capacity for outdoor activities and help reduce some pressure on indoor activity spaces for recreation. Support & Fee Structure The Student Recreation Advisory Board expressed a great deal of excitement about creating a recreation space that is safe to use after dark. In September of 2017, the Board unanimously recommended the Recreation Expansion project, which would be funded with $4 million of Recreation Fee reserves. The annual general operating costs, forecast at an estimated $105,000 with an escalation of 3 percent each year, will be programmed within the current recreation operation budget. Recreation will develop a fee structure for external entities for the use of scheduling the facility.
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