Most Gusties are familiar with the long-standing rumor that The Lund Center is to be the next building on campus to be renovated. On February 21, President Bergman confirmed this by sending all students and faculty an email detailing the next steps in the process.
“I am pleased to announce that we have received approval from the Board of Trustees to move forward with the development of construction documents for the Lund Center project,” Bergman said.
The long-anticipated project is finally becoming a reality. Architect visits have begun and are expected to take between nine and twelve months to complete. While this process has officially started, it will still be many months until the new Lund Center is complete and ready for students and athletes to use. However, when it is unveiled, it will feature drastic improvements over the current facilities.
“I think the biggest components that [are lacking are] the physical workout space and natural lighting. I think that the Lund Center needs to have more space, for athletic teams specifically, to do various team practices or activities. Currently, Lund Center is a space that has been utilized to its fullest potential. I think open spaces that accommodate more people would help. Along with this, I believe windows in these spaces would provide a brighter environment that is more inviting as well as entertaining to workout in,” Sophomore Track & Field and Cross Country athlete Josh Wilson said.
Student-athletes have long noted that the Lund Center is in need of renovation. This need is also apparent to high school students touring campus. In addition to being a Gustavus athlete, Wilson also gives tours to prospective students.
“When Lund opened in 1984, it was one of the most high-end facilities around. Now it has grown out of that. It needs to meet modern standards and provide more adequate space for both athletes and nonathletes. As a tour guide, I always mention to prospective students that Lund is the next building that the college plans to work on after the Nobel Hall project is complete. This is important to prospective students as working out is a part of many of their lives,” Wilson said.
The college is aware of this need and has made the Lund renovation project a priority. The main objectives of the renovation were laid out by President Bergman.
“There are three main goals for the Lund project. The first is to provide better wellness opportunities for all students, faculty, and staff. The second goal is to provide more space for recreation, education, athletics, club and intramural [activities]. The third objective of this renovation and expansion is to make classroom, locker room, and office improvements,” Bergman said.
The objectives set by Bergman will be worked towards by Director of Athletics and Lund Renovation Project Shepherd Tom Brown.
“First and foremost, the expansion and renovation will enhance the college’s commitment to wellness and well-being for the entire Gustavus community, including all of our students, faculty and staff. It will positively shape the experience of all Gusties and will help us continue to attract outstanding students to Gustavus. The increased space and state-of-the-art facilities will aid the great academic work that takes place in Lund, and will also improve our club-sports and intramural programs. For varsity athletics, the new Lund Center will allow us to provide top-caliber facilities for our programs as they continue to pursue excellence,” Brown said.
When completed, the new Lund Center will offer many improvements compared to the current facility. Specifics for the construction plans were also released. However, these are subject to change as architect visits begin this spring and feedback from the community is gathered.
“We are planning to renovate and update almost all areas of the existing Lund facility, with the exception of the hockey arena. The expansion will add 160,000 square feet to our current facility, which is 205,000 square feet. We plan to add cardio and workout space, a weight room, a large 55,000 square feet field house with synthetic turf, an expanded academic wing for classrooms and the human performance laboratory, and a new street-level lobby on the east side of the building,” Brown said.
While construction is underway, accessing the workout facility may be difficult for students and athletes. This has been acknowledged by the project team and a plan has been put forward.
“We will work to minimize disruption during the construction process by thinking carefully about how we stage the project. In addition, we are investigating options for moving practices and games to other local facilities and gyms when necessary,” Brown said.
Keeping the disruption of varsity athletics to a minimum is an important aspect of the project. All sports teams on campus could be impacted by this renovation.
“It’s important for me to have a space to train while Lund is under construction. My team utilizes the TRX room, weight room, indoor track, athletic trainer room, cardio space and locker rooms. These spaces are a necessity for many athletes at Gustavus and without these facilities, it would impact the way that we are able to properly prepare for our competitions,” Wilson said.
The renovation and expansion project of the Lund Center has been expected for a while, and now it is officially underway. Construction is expected to begin less than a year from now.