The Recreation Wellness and Events Center will be completed by the Destination 2010 deadline, and the $25 million in donations needed to help fund the project will be in within one year, said Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez.

“I think that fundraising is going well,” he said. “I think within the next year, I’m positive, we’ll have the $25 million. The additional cost will not come out of student fees. If we need support, we’ll find something out there.”

Gonzalez promised to raise $25 million before a $110 student-approved semester fee to fund the RWEC goes into effect. So far, the university has received more than $13 million in donations.Recent estimates from school administrators have surpassed $100 million for the project, but Gonzalez is thinking more between $50 and $60 million, he said.

“We will do what’s called value engineering if the center goes beyond budget,” he said. “A good example would be the parking structure that is now being built. That was originally scheduled to be a 3,200 parking space garage.” But by the time it was ready to build, the cost of materials had increased and 100 parking spots were cut to stay in budget, he said.

Gonzalez is unsure of what would be eliminated from the RWEC if building costs increase.

“We know we need lockers, showers, basketball courts, a cardiovascular area and things like that,” Gonzalez said. “Other things, like the bowling alley, it will depend.” But this doesn’t necessarily mean that an area will be cut completely from the final plans, Gonzalez said. The area may just be altered.

“For the showers we would look into the cost of plumbing, tile and everything that goes into it,” he said. “We may need to scale down from 300 to 200 showers. But we haven’t really talked about what to eliminate because we are still in the programming phase.”

Gonzalez is also considering other ways to keep costs down.

“We are looking into a group that would come in and build and manage the events center,” he said. “Some places have done this to save money but this is just one option. we haven’t even gotten to that point yet.”

If budget problems do arise, the project architect, Facilities Management and the RWEC committee will re-evaluate the needs of the center.

Also included in the RWEC budget is the demolition of the current field house, which currently includes coaches’ offices and meeting rooms, and construction of the new one.

The cost of renovating the Alex G. Spanos Stadium is not included in Gonzalez’s estimate, which contributes to the difference in estimates from the beginning of the planning and now.

“The field house is only part of the recreation center plan because we have to move it to put the center there,” Gonzalez said. “The stadium is a whole bunch of money and that’s separate.”

To move forward with RWEC construction, the university is not in need of cash on hand, Gonzalez said

“We need irrevocable commitments,” he said. “Spanos pledged $10 million, we don’t have to worry about that. We will float cash bonds, we will take out the bonds and as people pay those off we will have the cash.”

The chancellor’s office will issue the bonds to Sac State and once the project is started, running out of money will not be an option, Gonzalez said.

“The chancellor would not let us start this project if there was a chance we would run out of money. We’re not a private school, we will have the bonds.”

The school is also on track in the planning and development stages of the project and demolition of the current field house will begin in spring.

“Hopefully it will be completed sooner than that. It always goes slower than you expect but you have to go through all the preparations, drawings and the approval process,” he said.

Though some students have protested the building of a RWEC at Sac State, Gonzalez said he still thinks it is the best choice for the campus.

“I would argue that it is very necessary,” he said. “Those students may not think it is necessary for them but look at some of the problems we’re facing like obesity, health and wellness and longevity. It’s also a good way to relieve stress and it has a social environment. I think it’s good all the way around.”

Gonzalez hopes the RWEC at Sac State will change the university’s commuter school reputation.

“Sac State now has a commuter feel but when you have a recreation wellness center for students they are more apt to stay around campus.” And the completion of the RWEC will still be a positive thing for students who do not support the project, Gonzalez said.

“Even if you didn’t vote for the recreation center you were here when it was voted in. It’s the legacy that students are leaving behind.”

It is also a legacy that Gonzalez will be leaving behind, something he is already familiar with after six years as president at Cal State San Marcos.

“When I took the job as president at San Marcos they didn’t have a permanent library,” he said. “I had been told they would never have one so that was the first thing I started on.”

Though it took the entire six years that Gonzalez was at the school, the library was completed shortly after he left for his current position at Sac State.

And while he may be accustom to physical changes on a college campus, it is something that has caused members of the Sac State community to express concern.

But Gonzalez said the construction on campus is just one component of the changes. “I think the physical aspect that everybody has been focusing on is just one part of the campus. Those are things that don’t happen over night so you got to start moving on it.

“On the academic side, I think we are going to be starting to look at how we deliver our programs and doing the best job for our students,” he said. “I started out with the physical projects first because they take the longest to complete. I think it’s time to switch our goals and focus our attention on academics.”

As for the RWEC, Gonzalez sees it as part of many changes that are transforming the campus. “It’s a long process,” he said. “Hopefully 10 years from now the campus will be the best in the system.”

Lora Simmons can be reached at [email protected]