U. plans $23 mil. fitness center

Penn officials yesterday released artists' renderings and specific plans for the new Pottruck Health and Fitness Center, which will transform the face of campus recreation and fitness over the next two years. A specific timeline was also announced, with construction beginning on May 22, immediately following Commencement. Officials hope to have the facility completed in 2003. "I think a lot of people are going to use it," Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said. "It wouldn't surprise me if it is somewhere between 12 and 13 thousand users. The end result is that when this is all done we will have a really beautiful facility." The Pottruck Center will add 65,000 square feet to Gimbel Gymnasium, which currently covers 50,000 square feet. The joint facility will total 115,000 square feet. "One of our main priorities is to create a fitness center that is more up to date that houses a larger facility," Vice President of Facilities Services Omar Blaik said. "There is a tremendous need for recreational facilities here at Penn." The total cost of the facility will be $23 million dollars, $10 million of which was given by University Trustee and College alumnus David Pottruck. Another $2 million in donations have already been collected, while the University still needs to locate $11 million to complete the funding process. The facility will have various floors and will be connected to Gimbel through an atrium on the second floor. Architectural plans call for the building to be made of sheer glass so that passers-by can observe the different activities available. "It gives you the feeling that something is going on, an inviting kind of atmosphere," Director of Recreational Services Michael Diorka said. "From the street side it is a nice feature and it gives you a sense of openness instead of the closed-in look." The plans call for an increased social atmosphere for the new facility, a pro shop and a juice bar. Bilsky said that some of these social amenities were added in response to surveys that asked for increased interaction between graduate and undergraduate students. "It is just the nature of the activities that are going to be available," he explained. In addition to the aesthetic character of the new facility, the design of the building is unusual. Pottruck Center will have floors that extend progressively further west as they get higher -- a technique known as cantilevering -- in order to utilize the space between the parking garage and Gimbel. "The facility is a narrow fit and in order to get additional space we have to build it that way," Diorka noted. "If we build it straight up we would not have as much square footage and the atrium would not be possible. We were able to get good square footage, a neat design and minimize the time it takes to build." In order to lay the groundwork for the facility, Gimbel will be closed for the summer. "We do have to close because of mechanical setups and the new building is generating power to the older building which will allow it to last longer," Diorka said. "This gives us a chunk of time to put mechanicals in place and gives us time to fix piping at the pool which was in dire need of repair." "I think that obviously there will be some disruption, but if people are willing to go down to Hutchinson to use the facilities they have the means to do so," Bilsky said. The transition stage also includes closing off the pool for the summer, but Drexel University's pool will be available to the Penn community for use. Although Diorka says it is a minor inconvenience, transportation will be provided by the Lucy Loop, which runs through Penn's campus and makes a stop at Drexel. Other changes include the dismantling of the Katz Fitness Center on the first floor, which will be relocated to the first basketball court in Gimbel. The cardiovascular center will be in a climate-controlled room. Gimbel Gymnasium, as well as the pool, will reopen on September 6. At that time, the entrance to Gimbel will be on Sansom, and the cardiovascular center will be accessible via the second floor off Sansom.