President Rebecca Bergman spoke before a gathering of Gustavus donors, alumni, students, faculty, staff, and special guests at the May 13 dedication ceremony.
Gustavus Adolphus College celebrated the opening of the 72,000 sq. ft. expansion of Lund Center on Friday, May 13, with a dedication ceremony attended by Gustavus donors, alumni, students, faculty, staff, and special guests.
Featuring remarks from President Rebecca Bergman, Vice President for Advancement Thomas W. Young ’88, Director of Athletics Tom Brown, students Joe Punnoose ’22 and Madeleine Derbis ’23, and Chaplain Siri Erickson, the event highlighted the newly expanded fitness facility overlooking Hollingsworth Field.
“Today we officially open Phase One of this project dedicated to the goal of providing all Gusties better wellness opportunities in an expanded, first-class space,” Bergman said. “Students, faculty, and staff will enjoy these lovely new spaces for cardio, weight training, and exercise classes—and they will enjoy these massive windows allowing them unparalleled views to the west.”
The expansion includes a weight training facility, an open-concept cardio fitness center, three aerobics rooms, new locker rooms, office spaces, and a sizable student lounge.
The expansion includes a weight training facility that is five times the size of the previous space, an open-concept cardio fitness center with commanding views of the College’s football field, three aerobics rooms including one with built-in scaffolding for TRX equipment, new locker rooms for intercollegiate student-athletes, office spaces for Gustavus Athletics coaches and staff, and a sizable student lounge that has already seen significant use by Gustavus students since the building opened to members of the College community on Wednesday, May 4.
“This project is the result of exceptionally generous donors whose gifts assured that this project would not only get launched, but rather catapulted forward,” Bergman said. “We are also here today due to the tireless efforts and hours upon hours of planning by the internal Lund Center Working Committee, and our terrific partnership with BWBR Architects and Kraus-Anderson Construction.”
“I am excited for the community that I know will be developed in this student lounge, which provides a space where students can collaborate on schoolwork and socialize,” Derbis, a junior athletic training major, said. “The additions and improvements to Lund Center will enhance our lives as students in the classroom, in athletics, and as we move on to pursue our professional careers.”
Fundraising continues for Phase II of the project, which will include a full renovation of the existing Lund Center building, new learning spaces for health and exercise science and athletic training, and ultimately, a 53,000 sq. ft. field house with synthetic turf that will add all-season practice, exercise, and recreation space to the northwest corner building between Hollingsworth Field and the Gustavus track and soccer complex.
The Lund Center expansion and renovation project comes on the heels of the recently completed Nobel Hall of Science, which concluded in August 2020. Both building projects represent major outcomes of Show the World, the College’s $225 million comprehensive campaign that was announced in September 2019 and is nearing completion.
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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510