The Recreation Wellness and Events Center, an over 230,000 square-foot facility, may break ground on the first phase of construction as soon as next semester, said Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez.

“At this point we’re on track with fundraising and will be able to report on where we are by the end of this semester,” Gonzalez said. “Since we’re looking at significant amounts that have to be committed, sometimes it’s a slow process.”

The project cost is estimated to be $120 million and Gonzalez has committed to raising $25 million before instating a $110 student-approved semester fee.

An architect is already on board with the project and the preliminary drawings have been completed, Gonzalez said.

An inaugural Green and Gold Gala, to be held on Oct. 20 in the University Union Ballroom, will honor Alex and Faye Spanos, who have committed $10 million to the project.

The RWEC, which will sit where the field house now resides, will include a large fitness center, a new student health center, an indoor track and swimming pool and a large indoor arena.

The arena is an essential part of Destination 2010, a project that will morph Sac State from a commuter school into a residential campus.

The $110 semester fee was approved in April 2004 by the student body to assist in funding the project. Nearly 5,000 voted for the tuition increase by 55.2 percent, the largest voter turnout in Associate Students Inc. history.

But some students don’t think a RWEC is necessary on the capital campus.

“The recreation center is not a priority in my book,” said junior Arlene Mendoza. “The school has many things to work on besides an indoor tennis court and things like that.”

Mendoza, a kinesiology major, voted no on the tuition increase.

“I felt that a rec center is a place for leisure,” she said. “If students want to work out they can go to a gym. An increase in tuition should be for more classes or academic programs for students.”

But recreation and leisure studies assistant professor David Rolloff, said the RWEC would be an improvement for the campus community.

“It’s my belief that the Recreation Wellness and Events Center will have far reaching benefits for students at Sac State,” he said. “It will enliven campus life and provide a more attractive and immediate place to go for recreation activities and health services.”

Along with the recreation and health services, one of the main areas in need of an upgrade is the Hornet Gym, according to the RWEC Web site.

The Hornet Gym currently seats 1,004 while the average seating capacity of Big Sky Conference gym is 6,293. The 30-year-old ailing gym houses poor locker room facilities and is often too small to accommodate the various sports needs of the campus community.

And though Mendoza will be at Sac State working on her master’s degree in physical therapy when the RWEC is proposed to open, she is still not convinced that it is a necessary addition to the school.

“I think that this place will bring good job opportunities and attract more students to the school,” she said. “But it’s not worth the money in the long run.”

But with a new gym, and all that the RWEC will have to offer, Rolloff said he envisions a welcoming change for university life at Sac State.

“I think we’re going to take the already effective student life programs and give them a major voltage boost,” Rolloff said. “It’s also my sense that the students will benefit further because we’ll have a healthier and happier university faculty and staff.”

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Lora Simmons can be reached at [email protected]