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Show u N I V E R s I T y SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY · TUESDAY , AUGUST 22 , 2000 Final months of building ·wind down BY THOMAS BURR SENIOR STAFF WRITER was a good building,· he said. "But we've outgrown it, and to meet all of our needs it's just not Vlhlile the old Physical . enough." Education Building continues to The old building, he said, was sink lower into the soil of the built for a student body of 1,400 SUU campus, a new building is and with the university's current steadily rising on the north to population inching above 6,500, take its place. the structure does not meet the The $17 mmion Physical needs of the department. Lunt Education Building-which will also said the new facilities will house a giant gymnasium, allow hands-on experience for dassrooms, offices and an classes and give SUU the Olympic-size swimming pool-is chance to recruit state on track and scheduled for competitions such as volleyball completion in January. and swimming. The structure is the · Michael Reid, director of manifestation of work by SUU procurement and capital facilities administrators for the better part planning, said the building is the of the 1990s, and will relax perfect complement for the PE worries about the use of the older department. "The department edifice south of the Centrum has a great reputation and we which has been hampered with will soon have a great facility for problems since it was first them," he said. opened in 1965. Problems Reid noted the building will be primarily stem from a sinking primarily for students' use, foundation and a leaking poo~ although community members which will be filled in with the will also be able to pay a fee to opening of the new building. use the facilities. Other fitness Neal.Cox, dean of students, centers in the area will not be said the building is primarily for impacted, Reid said, because the benefit of SUU students, SUU is not trying to compete with freeing space for non-collegiate private businesses. athletic events and expanding The new building will include facilities for physical education the Olympic-si;i;e pool, majors. classrooms and offices as well "We hope students will see the as three side-by-side basketball building as a place for recreation courts, an elevated running track, and not competition-and not an five racquetball courts, a weight exclusive place for anything," he room, computer lab, dance said. • studio and two lecture halls. Administrators had envisioned The construction of the building the building since 1992 and it did not come without a price, was a pet-project of State Rep. however. DeMar "Bud" Bowman (R-Cedar A Fillmore man died in early City) who told the University June after falling from scaffolding Journal the project is the high while working on the project. point of his career. · rt took years Ju.stin Neal Smrstick, Fillmore, to get it through," he said. "But it ' died on his 19th birthday from is the highlight of my legislative injuries sustained in the 35-foot endeavors.· fall. Reid said he did not know if ~ The building replaced the track . there would be a memorial in the and football field of the old Cedar liluilding for Smrstick. ~ Middle School, which was The building is scheduled to be acquired by SUU in 1999. The $8 dedicated on March 23 as part of : million land purchase was partly Founders' Day activities. z paid for by a private donation and Reid said there were no plans ffi by the State Legislature. in the immediate future to raze Construction on the new Physical Educatibn Building on the north end of campus, which began a year PE department chair Stephen the old physical education ago, will be completed in January 2001. The buif(Jing wil/ include the 0/ympic-sae pool, classrooms and Lunt said the new building is building and offices in the offices as well as three side-by-side basketball courts, an elevated running track, five racquetball courts, a needed to take care of the structure would still be used by weight room, computer lab, dance studio and two lecture halls. growing population at SUU. "It other faculty members. g I '. |