Evangel opens new fitness center, plans more projects

by Melissa Wilson

SBJ Staff

College and university campuses across Springfield have undergone several cosmetic changes in the last year and a half.

Southwest Missouri State University is in the process of completing its state-of-the-art student union, and completed its Public Affairs Classroom Building and renovations to Karls Hall last summer.

Drury College completed College Park, an apartment-style student housing project, in January 1998.

Evangel Uni-versity is no different.

By 2005, Evangel will have completed construction of a new student union complex, a fine arts center, a new administration building and a second academic building, according to Paul Logsdon, Evangel director of public relations and publications.

A student fitness center attached to the north end of the existing gym, the J. Robert Ashcroft Activities Center, opened when classes resumed Aug. 26.

"The long-range plans combined with the new student union complex will give us four new structures and eliminate most of the barracks," Logsdon said.

The student fitness center, a $2.5 million, 28,000-square-foot facility, was paid for in part by a 13-year-old student tax approved by 90 percent of the student body at the time. The "Save for the Future" fund was instated in 1987 and raised more than $750,000 for construction of the facility, which includes two basketball courts, an indoor track, two racquetball courts, an aerobics room, locker rooms and a mezzanine exercise area with professional fitness equipment.

Site preparation and construction began on phase I of Evangel's $3.9 million student union complex in May after a $1 million donation April 15 completed the project's funding

"This commitment was the final element necessary to proceed with construction," President Robert H. Spence said in an Evangel press release.

The first phase of the student union project will be a 600-seat cafeteria, built south of the existing facility, which will be torn down when the new one is complete.

"We're anticipating phase I to be ready in the early spring. Phase II construction will start immediately after we tear down the old facilities. We're hoping to be in (phase II) by the end of 2000," Logsdon said.

Phase II will be a two-story structure which will include a bookstore, student government and student activities offices, the Career Development Office, the Wellness Center and The Joust, which comprises a snack bar, coffeehouse and game room facility, and is currently located on the west end of campus.

Logsdon said the old campus union was housed in the barracks that held the Officers' Club when the Evangel campus was the site of O'Reilly General Hospital. The land was made available to the Assemblies of God by the Army in 1954.

"It made a real nice student union. It had a nice fireplace area, and things like that, but it now will be used as our art department, until our fine arts center is built," Logsdon said.

Logsdon said the official names of the fitness center and student union will be announced at Homecoming, which is Oct. 1-2.

The general contractor for the fitness center and student union complex is Gray General Contractors Inc. of Ozark. Owner Harold Gray is a 1971 Evangel graduate and is putting the finishing touches on the fitness center. Sapp Design Associates Architects PC is the architect for both projects.