Although the building has been open to students since before the start of the semester, university officials held a grand opening for the new Health and Learning Center on Monday — culminating a four year period of funding and construction.
The event, held in front of the new building, included speeches, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and guided tours of the facility.
NAU President John Haeger said the opening of the new center is an important day for the university and marks a new standard in the construction of new buildings on campus.
“This is a significant milestone for NAU,” Haeger said. “Not only is this the largest facility that we have built, but it is clearly the most complex in terms of its programming.”
The center is four stories tall, near the soccer fields and replaces the previously-existing Lumberjack Stadium. Its 272,000 square feet interior contains classrooms, athletic areas and offices for several different departments.
Haeger said Mortenson Construction’s work on the Health and Learning Center was impressive.
“One thing I’d like to point out about this project is they delivered the building ahead of schedule and under budget,” Haeger said.
Bob McLendon, vice-chair of the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR), said the new center will not only help NAU stay ahead of the architectural curve amongst the three state universities, but also the world.
“It’s my philosophy, and the philosophy of the Board of Regents, that Arizona should not take a backseat to anybody,” McLendon said. “And I’m gonna tell you folks that we’re responsible for building this project, this is not a first-class project — this is a world-class project.”
So far, both returning and new students seem pleased with the outcome of their investment in the ‘Heath and Wellness’ fee, charged to students of the mountain campus for the past four years.
Austin Hasquet, a freshman biomedical science major, said he was pleased with the new center after a workout there.
“I think it’s top-of-the-line,” Hasquet said. “I’m from Phoenix and the gym I went to is pretty nice, and this is just as nice. It’s definitely on par.”
R. J. Rickert, a freshman business major, said the new facility was an improvement on the old gym.
“It’s just better than the last one,” Rickert said. “All the equipment is newer; it’s all nice. They keep this one really clean.”
Among those who addressed the group of faculty, students and community members present at the opening were ABOR Regent Ernest Calderon — a graduate of NAU — and Associated Students of NAU President Blaise Caudill.
Haeger said that despite hard times economically, NAU’s efforts to expand the campus have actually aided the community at large.
“People have often said to us, ‘How can you possibly be doing building at a time in which the economy is in recession?’” Haeger said. “We knew that in NAU and the city of Flagstaff, the projects that you currently see underway are helping this community sustain itself through a very, very difficult recession.”
Recent Comments