U-D Mercy pushes forward on new Fitness Center in University District

The University of Detroit Mercy is set to debut its first new building on its main campus this year.

The Student Fitness Center will provide exponentially more space for exercising and socializing for the Catholic university's student body. The $8 million building is on schedule to open on the McNichols campus in time for the start of the fall semester. A web cam of the construction can be found here.

"We are finishing up the shell of the building," says Tamara Batcheller, associate vice president for facilities management at the University of Detroit-Mercy. "We are probably 65 percent complete."

Currently students have a few thousand square feet of exercise space in another building on campus. The Student Fitness Center will have 40,000 square feet that will house a range of athletic options, such as an elevated track, fitness areas, workout rooms and a large student lounge.

The building will feature an open design, giving students and staff more flexibility for athletic activities. It will also have green features, such as motion-sensor lights, to make it more sustainable. The building will also offer free Wi-Fi for its patrons.

"We look at it as a space for our students social gatherings," Batcheller says.

Source: Tamara Batcheller, associate vice president for facilities management at the University of Detroit-Mercy
Writer: Jon Zemke

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