Memberships To Cincinnati s Premiere New Fitness Facility Go On Sale In November

The University of Cincinnati Campus Recreation Center is still under construction, but the planning for its target opening in February is underway now.

Memberships for both the UC population and the Greater Cincinnati community will go on sale as of Nov. 7,

and the staff at the Campus Recreation Center is currently sending out the call to hire hundreds of student workers. Kim Schmidt, director of the center, says the student staff could increase from the current 150 working for recreational services to as high as 400, as UC gets set to open what Schmidt calls the premiere fitness facility in the Tristate.

“We really want to set the standard in customer service at our new Rec Center, so we’re looking for very friendly, energetic and outgoing students,” Schmidt says. Presentations on available student jobs will be taking place at noon Monday, Nov. 7, in Room 400A of Tangeman University Center (TUC), as well as at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, in Room 400A of TUC.

The opening of the $112.9 million, 350,000 square-foot Campus Recreation Center will result in the completion of UC’s MainStreet corridor to blend campus life, learning, work and play. And it’s that MainStreet blend in the building itself that is making it a national standout of multi-purpose facilities on college campuses. The student housing portion of the building opened during fall quarter, as did Market on Main, the 4,000 square-foot convenience store, which will be operating 24/7 when the building opens in its entirety. The east side of the building is anchored by six state-of-the-art electronic classrooms, and CenterCourt is expected to bring even more compliments to UC’s award-winning standards in residence-hall dining.

The recreation section holds eight racquetball courts, a 50-meter x 25-yard lap pool; a leisure pool (with current channel, water wall, bubble couch and vortex); a whirlpool; more than 200 cardio and fitness machines; a suspended four-lane walking/jogging track; a six-court gymnasium; a 40-foot climbing wall and bouldering wall; three multipurpose rooms; a warm-up/stretching area; and a juice bar. The hours of the center are expanding to 114 hours per week, compared with the 90-hours-per-week offered at the current UC fitness center.

Schmidt adds that the building itself was designed to create a new experience for fitness fans. “One of the things we wanted to accomplish with this new facility was to offer a spectacular view of campus as well as great views inside, so at any time as you’re working out, you can see into three or four different programming areas,” she says. The building was designed by the Santa Monica architectural firm, Morphosis, in partnership with Cincinnati’s KZF Incorporated.

Programming and activities at the center include open recreation such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, etc. Fee-based services include group fitness classes, water group fitness classes, instructional programming, summer camps, children’s parties, and health and wellness seminars.

In addition to annual memberships, the Campus Recreation Center will offer monthly and weekly memberships plus daily guest passes. Full-time UC students are automatically members through payment of student life fees. Beginning Nov. 7, specially priced, pre-opening memberships for part-time students, co-ops, alumni, faculty, staff, UC affiliates and community members will become available. To sign up or find out more, stop by the Office of Campus Recreation in Sander Annex, or call 513-556-5706 or visit the Campus Recreation Center Web site.

Future presentations on the Campus Recreation Center will be held from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, in University Hall, Room 454, and from noon-1 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Medical Sciences Building, Room 3051.

Campus Recreation Center Memberships