Politics & Government

Planned $100 Million UConn Fitness Center Getting Mixed Reactions

The proposal would increase student fees between $400 and $500 annually, which has riled some UConn students.


This article was written and reported by Eileen McNamara

A proposed a new fitness complex on the University of Connecticut's Storrs campus has upset some students who say it's too lavish and expensive for students. 

Graduates students at Storrs oppose the center and dozens of them descended on a UConn Board of Trustees meeting this week to decry the preliminary proposals, according to a report today in the Hartford Courant. 

The 30-year loan for the new center would be paid for by increases in annual students fees, as much as $400 for graduate students and $500 for undergraduates, according to the university-run magazine UConn Today. 

Those fees would not take affect until after the new center opens in 2016, the magazine says. The new facility would include a 50-meter, 8-lane pool and aquatics center, an extensive cardiovascular and strength training space, a "Wellness Center," space for special populations programming, such as weight loss and exercise programs and seven multipurpose group exercise areas for specific activities including cycling, yoga, dance and martial arts.

Undergraduates, who have complained for years about the lack of a fitness center, support the proposal. But others say the annual cost of the center breaks down to between $25-$40 per month per student, more than some commercial gym memberships. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here