O’Keefe Center to Get $15 Million Upgrade

Students said one of the biggest issues at Salem State University was the small size of the fitness center and lack of space it provided for them to participate in recreational activities. In a few years, that is all about to change in a major way.

On Nov. 30, the board of trustees at Salem State unanimously approved a $15 million addition to the O'Keefe Center.

"We're very pleased with the approval of the project, because of the extensive student support we received," said Salem State President Dr. Patricia Meservey. "It'll provide more opportunities for students to participate in intramural sports and maintain their physical fitness."

The construction will start in July 2012, and it'll give the aging building a completely different look. Students will have more facilities to access, highlighted by a state-of-the-art fitness center and two full-sized basketball courts.

One of the goals of this project is that it'll also draw more students to Salem State, especially those who want to live on campus in one of the resident halls--so it's going to be a huge addition to the SSU community.

"This will have an incredible effect on campus life as well as commuting students," said Karen Cady, senior director of university relations. "Students need a nice place to spend time and relax, and this addition to Salem State will provide that."

James Stoll, dean of students at Salem State University, said the construction of the building will not affect students financially until the renovations are completed sometime around August or September 2013.

"Originally, we were going to charge students a fee right away, but we were able to start borrowing money now for the construction costs," Stoll said. "Therefore we were able to defer a fee until the construction of the building is completed. In other words, we don't have to start collecting fees until the doors open, so students entering the 2013-2014 school year will be accessed a $150 yearly academic fee."

Stoll also said students shouldn't worry about any parking issues that could arise from the construction as it'll have minimal effect on student parking.

The look of the building will be completely different from what students see now. The rendering provided by DiMella Shaffer, the architectural firm who designed Marsh Hall, shows that there will be a glass exterior with an entrance that's easy to find.

Stoll said that the building will also include two floors of lounge space in the new lobby/atrium area, and a "grand staircase" that students can use to access the second floor, but the fitness center and basketball courts are the crown jewel of this project.

The new fitness center will be on the first floor and will take up about 7,500 square feet. It'll be very comparable to many private fitness clubs and what private colleges offer to their students.

"It'll have lots of room for students to work out," Stoll added. "Students will be able to do circuits, cardio and free weights."

He added that as students go up the staircase onto the second floor, they'll see lounge space and two full-sized basketball courts side-by-side, which will be versatile and can be used for numerous activities.

"The two courts will also function as multi-purpose recreational space for different activities," he said. "That means the two courts will be able to convert into a function hall, and will seat 1,000 people for entertainment such as comedy shows."

The project will also improve space for spinning, dancing and yoga classes too. Right now, there's one major room for dance majors to use as part of their educational training, but this project will allow approximately 1,200 square feet for three or four brand-new studio spaces.

These new facilities will benefit students who participate in a variety of athletics at Salem State, especially intramurals, but overall the project will benefit everybody.

"I believe intramurals will grow significantly, because of the space that will be available to students," said Tim Shea, director of athletics at Salem State. "Aside from intramurals, all this space will allow more freedom for athletic teams as they can schedule better practice time."

Shea said space has always been a problem for the athletic department and everyone participating in sports and taking Sport and Movement Science classes. Currently, students can't always access certain facilities, such as the Twohig Gymnasium, because they're being using by the athletic teams, but this will free up space and allow everyone to participate in general recreation.

Another key aspect that Shea hit on is the new O'Keefe Center is going to help recruit student athletes. "This will give Salem State a gem to show off, and will play a major role in recruiting future athletes," he said.