Official rec center groundbreaking Friday

There will be an official groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Jan. 19, at 11:30 a.m. near Sartain Hall to recognize the construction of the new recreation center.

Herbert Reeves, dean of student services, is encouraging students to attend the groundbreaking to show support for the project.

“The main reason (for students to come to the ceremony) is because the students are paying for the construction of this facility, and it is being constructed for their use,” Reeves said.

“The SGA initiated the idea and proposed the fee to students to pay in order to make this become a reality.”

A $100 facility fee has been added to each student account, which was proposed by the 2014 Student Government Association (SGA).

“It is now a reality and construction is underway, so we (Troy) would like all students that can be there to come,” Reeves said.

Reeves said that members of the Board of Trustees, university administration, faculty and staff, and members of the recreation center committee that provided input into the design and construction of the facility will be in attendance.

With the start of this new project, the parking lot next to Sartain has been closed for construction, but University Police Chief John McCall said that a new parking lot will be built from Hawkins Hall to the completed recreation center, creating nearly 200 additional parking spaces once the recreation center is completed.

“The last I heard, Sartain Hall will come down as the final phase of that project,” McCall said. “They will tear that (Sartain Hall) down, and they’ll put a parking lot from Hawkins back to the new health and wellness center.”