DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - After years of quiet fundraising and planning, leaders at St. Ambrose University in Davenport have launched the school’s largest capital project Wednesday to build a new $18.5 million recreation facility.
University president Sister Joan Lescinski said Wednesday the school is moving forward with construction on the 80,000-square-foot Wellness and Recreation Center on the north side of campus, the Quad-City Times (https://bit.ly/1Sg5tul ) reports.
The building will serve athletes and students with multipurpose areas for intramural activities and recreation along with a room that will feature a Hall of Fame honoring past players.
The center would also provide lab space for some health and wellness courses.
The fundraising effort behind the project, named “Building Our Future Campaign,” is led by alumni who have been working to collect major donations for years.
The campaign’s co-chair, Mike Johnson, said the school’s last physical education facility was built in 1983, when the university had eight varsity sports. Today it has 23 varsity sports and the student population has doubled, with an enrollment of about 3,343.
“Great institutions can’t live on just tradition and legacy; they have to keep up with evolving needs,” he said.
Johnson and his wife revealed the campaign has already raised $13 million, reaching 70 percent of their final goal. He said the remainder of the campaign will be alumni-focused.
Fundraising efforts have been quietly in the works for three years, Lescinski said, and planning for the facility began several years ago with focus groups that included students, faculty and campus neighbors.
“We’re excited to see this dream become a reality,” she said.
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Information from: Quad-City Times, https://www.qctimes.com
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