MARIETTA — Kennesaw State University’s Marietta campus is carrying its weight with a newly renovated recreation and wellness center.
About half of the 36,000-square-foot facility received a $7.4 million internal makeover, including brand new weights and machines, a study room, a fitness studio, and racquetball courts. There are more than 70 new pieces of strength and cardiovascular equipment. In all, 83% of the facility’s equipment is new.
Members of KSU’s leadership team spoke about the new facility and all it has to offer at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.
KSU President Kathy “Kat” Schwaig spoke of the importance of having beautiful buildings for students to use.
“I will confess, I have never been in this building before, so I don’t know what it was, but I hear today’s a lot better than before, and I’m absolutely overwhelmed,” Schwaig said. “I love the color, I love the feel, I love the excitement of this space.”
Tara Parker, KSU’s executive director of sports and recreation, said the school was thrilled to welcome students back to the building beginning Tuesday at noon.
Upgrades to the 27-year-old Marietta campus recreation center began in October 2022, according to KSU spokesperson Darius Goodman, and there will be more to come in the next few years, he added.
Eric Arneson, KSU’s vice president for student affairs, said the renovation represents “the growth and the perception and the opportunities and the incredible experience our students embrace daily.”
Arneson noted recreation and wellness is a significant part of the KSU student experience. Last year alone, more than 9,000 students participated in intramural sports, upward of 6,000 took fitness classes and more than 1,400 played on club sports teams, he said.
KSU senior Billy Anderson, a mechatronics student on the Marietta campus, works at the rec center as a facility operations assistant and said it has been a “profound experience.”
“I think of the gym as more than a building,” Anderson said. “As a student body, we think of it as a second home, a place where we have challenged ourselves mentally, physically.”
Working at the facility has helped Anderson understand all that goes into ensuring it continues serving students well, he told the crowd of about 50 people gathered for the grand opening.
“From coordinating events to making sure machines run smooth, the amount of effort, time and responsibility it takes has truly dawned upon me,” Anderson said.
Anderson was excited for the building to reopen Tuesday, and he asked the audience to consider what the upgrades mean for the KSU community.
“Let us embrace the chance to rekindle connections, discover strength and continue our journey together with wellbeing,” Anderson said. “And remember: A friend that squats with you is a friend for life.”
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