Donors, students and University partners will mark the groundbreaking with an official kick-off ceremony and remarks June 17
RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada, Reno will break ground next week on the E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center. The 108,000 square foot facility will offer an indoor 1/8th mile running track, multiple fitness areas for weight lifting and training and myriad other activities and classes. The E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center completes a vision for a University hub of facilities that nurture a student’s mind (the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center), spirit (the Joe Crowley Student Union) and body.
WHAT: The official groundbreaking event for the University’s E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center acknowledges the start of construction for the facility, which is slated for completion in early 2017. The E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center will be constructed in the parking lot north of the Brian J. Whalen Parking Complex and will border North Virginia Street.
The E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center is slated to open in early 2017.
Built in 1974 to serve a student body of 4,000, the University’s current fitness center, Lombardi Recreation, was designed to primarily support physical education programs rather than training, fitness and wellness offerings. With the University’s enrollment projected to grow to 22,000 students in the coming years, the E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center will better accommodate the growing student body and help attract new students to the University.
WHO: University President Marc Johnson, Vice President of Student Services Shannon Ellis, donors and student leaders will be among those at the event and available to speak with media.
WHEN: The media event will begin at 10 a.m., Wednesday, June 17. It is recommended media arrive to the event no later than 9:45 a.m. for the approximately one-hour program.
WHERE: The fifth floor of the Brian J. Whalen Parking Complex off North Virginia Street, south of 15th Street on the University campus.
MEDIA PARKING: Media are invited to park on the ramp between the fourth and fifth floors of the Brian J. Whalen Parking Complex.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES: A visually oriented activity is planned to commemorate the groundbreaking. See University students, officials and donors break ground on the new E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Total project cost is estimated at $46 million dollars, funded through $16 million in private gifts, student fees and the University’s capital-project bonding capacity. An $8 million naming gift was given to the University by the E. L. Wiegand Foundation. A $1.5 million gift was given by Mario Gabelli, and the Gabelli Foundation will be recognized by the naming of the Mario J. Gabelli Plaza outside the E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center. The University of Nevada, Reno Foundation has provided $3 million in matching gifts and several donors have responded to this opportunity as the University continues its philanthropic efforts to raise the remaining funds from private donations.
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RENDERING CUTLINE: The E. L. Wiegand Fitness Center is slated to open in early 2017.
Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s land-grant university, the University of Nevada, Reno ranks in the top tier of best national universities by U.S. News and World Report. With nearly 20,000 students, the University is driven to contribute a culture of student success, world-improving research and outreach that enhances communities and business. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University has the system’s largest research program and is home to the state’s medical school. Bringing outreach and education programs to all Nevada counties and home to one of the largest study-abroad consortiums, the University extends across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.
Media Contact:
Natalie Savidge
Senior Communications Specialist
Marketing & Communications
775-784-4611 phone
nsavidge@unr.edu
Media newsroom: http://newsroom.unr.edu
