Now open on River Campus is the dramatically changed and renovated Edmund A. Hajim Gymnasium with a state-of-the-art fitness area in a newly configured athletic center at the University of Rochester. While formal dedications-and some additional work to the basketball court and pool-lie ahead, students can now enjoy improved equipment, an enhanced environment, and more space where they can compete, relax, and stay fit.
The gym, which is named for Hajim, an alumnus and member of the University's Board of Trustees, is the principal component of the renovation of the entire complex of more than 200,000 square feet. "I believe that the University now has an athletic facility that compares favorably with any university of its size," he says.
Total cost of the renovation and expansion of the Robert B. Goergen Athletic Center, which will be completed by early fall, is $14 million. It is the most significant construction project on campus since the mid-1980s. Goergen is chairman of the University's Board of Trustees and an alumnus. Athletics and recreation are important components of college student life. One out of every three undergraduates on the River Campus play for the 22 varsity sports teams, compete in intramurals or are members of the 25 club sports teams. At universities like Rochester that prize a vibrant residential community, these activities are essential for students. Faculty and staff members also may use the complex.
When completed, Rochester's athletic complex will include a new, inviting entrance; a fitness center and new multi-use rooms; enlargement of the basketball court to meet NCAA Division III standards; renovation of the spectator area of the pool; relocation of the coaches' offices; and installation of air conditioning in the gym, the pool, and squash courts.