The facility at William Paterson will be more than twice as big as the current sports center and will serve as a hub for students in allied health.
WIlliam Paterson University broke ground Oct. 17 on a $40 million project designed to enhance the school's sports and health programs.
College officials and local dignitaries, including Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way and U.S. Rep. Nellie Pou, were on hand to mark the start of construction on the Recreation and Health Sciences Center.
The two-story, 55,000-square-foot facility is more than twice the size of the existing Sports and Recreation Center and will serve as a hub for students preparing for careers in the allied health field.
The facility "promises to be a truly transformational project for William Paterson students and for New Jerseyans around our region," Richard J. Helldobler, the university's president, said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
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The center will provide classrooms, labs and other spaces for several bachelor's degree programs at William Paterson, including sports medicine, sport management, exercise physiology and physical education.
It will also house master's degree courses in athletic training, exercise physiology and sport administration.
Additionally, the facility will be home to the university's Counseling, Health and Wellness Center, with a new health clinic featuring a women's health center, a lab and pharmacy, and examination and counselor rooms.
Other aspects of the building include a 25-yard natatorium and a multipurpose gym.
"This building will be more than a learning facility. It will be a place for the WP community to take care of yourselves," Way said. "We all know that our mental wellness impacts our ability to learn and pursue excellence in and out of the classroom."
The $40 million center is funded by the New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority. Helldobler credited Pou and fellow U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic nominee for governor, with helping to advocate and obtain money for the initiative.
The center is scheduled to be completed in June 2027, Helldobler said.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: William Paterson University to build sports and health center
Category: General Sports
