Wellness Center on the way: A look at the construction in progress

Ground broke on September 21, 2021 and the construction is still ongoing for the new MSU student wellness center. The overall projected timeline for the building is around two years 

“Construction of the Student Wellness Center is on schedule and on budget,” said Michael Becker, director of the MSU News Service. “The building is expected to be complete in late 2023.”

Many students are anxious with anticipation as the excitement level grows surrounding the newest addition to the ever updating MSU campus. Back in April 2020 a vote passed with 66% approval for a plan to construct the new student wellness center. The center would hold all student health services along with fitness and recreation areas. With a budget of 60 million dollars, only around a third of the cost for the total project is coming from student fees. Looking ahead at the future, the cost will go up by $58 a semester for students who are taking 12 or more credits as a result of the new wellness center. 

“The Student Wellness Center is being paid for with a student fee that MSU students voted to approve — no taxpayer money or tuition dollars are going toward construction,” Becker said. “When complete, it will house not only recreational facilities but also provide a new home for Student Health Partners, including medical, dental, counseling and psychological services. Those services will move out of Swingle Health Center, which has not seen a significant renovation since the late 1970s, and will make the SWC a one-stop shop for student wellness.”

The general contractor for the project is the Jackson Contractor Group, and it’s going to feature many new sustainable aspects. MSU is making LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) a priority, which is a program that encourages new projects to be both energy efficient and environmentally responsible. There are currently eight LEED buildings on campus, and the wellness center plans to be the ninth. Some features of the new building will include LED lighting and a solar wall, which will mainly warm the fresh air, making it so less energy is used for heating. This is an idea that has been successful with other projects across campus including Jabs Hall. 

As far as the layout of the new building goes, there are many exciting features in the works which will make it so every student will have something to do. Some of these plans include a climbing wall, multi-purpose activity court, aquatic center, fitness and group exercise area, mental health counseling spaces and clinical spaces. The new building is going to be an all in one space for both mental and physical health for all of MSU. 

The completion of the Wellness Center is just about a year away, and many cannot wait to explore this new resource which has been in the works since the collapsing of the roof on the old fitness center back in March 2019.