Construction of an athletic facility at Gettysburg College will get under way soon and is expected to be completed by fall 2009.
The ground breaking will take place at 5:15 p.m. Friday for the 55,000-square-foot building that will connect to the west side of the Bream/Wright/Hauser athletic facility, closing Constitution Avenue between West Lincoln Avenue to Broadway.
The new Center for Athletics, Recreation and Fitness will include a natatorium with eight competition lanes, four-lane warm-up pool and 350-seat spectator gallery, a 10,000-square-foot weight and fitness room, multipurpose spaces for aerobics, yoga, Pilates, spinning and martial arts classes, and a renovated athletic training room with a Hydroworx therapy pool.
"The Center will allow us to provide programming for the multitude of people on campus who wish to improve or maintain their fitness level," Gettysburg College Athletic Director David Wright said. "Whether a student-athlete or a recreational user, the center is a critical improvement for the campus."
The first major gift for the center came from trustee John Jaeger, whose $1.2 million donation was intended to encourage others to give. Gettysburg alumnus Robert Ortenzio, chief executive officer of Select Medical Corporation in Mechanicsburg, contributed to $2 million.
Nearly 25 percent of the student body belongs to one of the college's 24 varsity athletic teams, and more than three-fourths of students take part in an extensive intramural and club sports program, college officials said.