Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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New Fitness and Wellness Center to open in 2002 by Phil Watson Journalism Sophomore Working out is a big part of life for many Carolina students, and a new fitness center is scheduled for completion by 2002 to meet USC students’ growing fitness needs. . The Strom Thurmond Fitness and Wellness Center will be a 165,000 sqiiare-fool center ;uid will house an indoor pool, four basketball courts, an outdoor track, a 20,000-square-foot weight room, a cardiovascular area, an outdoor pool, aerobics studios, squash courts, racquetball courts and an auxiliary gymnasium. This massive complex will be located at Blossom and Assembly streets. The Blatt Physical Education Center on Wheat Street serves as USC’s current fitness complex. When the center was built in 1971, it offered racquetball courts, tennis courts, squash courts, aerobics, car diovascular machines, weight rooms, basketball courts, a swimming ptx)l and much more. In 1975, an addition of three stories made the center twice as big. The addition brought with it an Olyntpic-size swimming pool complete with multilevel diving platforms, two new gymnasiums, more class rooms, squash courts and additional offices. The PE. center was named after Solomon Blatt, a USC alumnus and former member of the S.C. House of Representatives. More than 1,100 students use the Blatt P.E. Center every day. Computer science freshman Geoff Maxey uses the Blatt P.E. Cen ter on a regular basis. He said he looks forward to the opening of the new center. “The new fitness center will be a great addition to our communi ty here at Carolina,” Maxey said. “The Blatt P.E. Center has been the place for USC students to maintain healthy lifestyles, but it gets crowd ed sometimes.” Maxey said the new Strom Thurmond Fitness and Wellness Cen ter should be a huge attraction for the university. “It will be great. It will be more modem, with new equipment and facilities. Hopefully it will attract many students, old and new, and help them to stay fit and healthy.” Freshman Evan Smiley said there are several reasons he’s glad the new fitness center is being built. “I think a physical education center is a vital part of the campus experience, and it looks like USC is committed to giving students the best facility possible,” Smiley said. “At the end of my freshman year, I’m finding myself out of shape, so I’m excited that we’re getting a more accessible and convenient place to work out.” Although students are already luiticipating the opening of the Strom Thurmond Fitness and Wellness Center, it won’t be opening until spring of 2003. Until then, the Blatt P.E. Center will fulfil! all the fitness needs of Carolina students. Artist Renderings courtesy of the Deportment of Student Life (Top) An aerial view of the Strom Thurmond Health and Wellness Center shows the 165, 000 square foot facility acting as a dominate image in downtown Columbia. Students will be invited to use the outdoor facilities illustrated here. (Above) A ground-level view of the building’s unique facade. The color of the building will be consistent with the color of other recent construction projects like the South Quad residence hall. (Left) An image of the outdoor pool depicts several students using its facilities. This center is hoped to become a new social center of campus where students can meet, study and easily keep healthy.