Georgia Zutz – Staff Writer

February 18th, 2021 marked the official approval of the Lund Center renovation, set to be complete in 2024. Slated to break ground this spring, the Gustavus Board of Trustees approved the $60 million dollar project that will expand upon the Lund Center’s capabilities regarding athletics, education and community building.
“There’s a tremendous sense of excitement among our students, faculty, and staff,” Director of Athletics Tom Brown said in the official address.
“We look forward to providing expanded health and wellness facilities for all members of the Gustavus community while also building on the College’s 120-year tradition of excellence in athletics,” Brown said.
Specific features of the expansion and renovation include a new 53,000 square foot fieldhouse, renovation of the academic wing to expand learning opportunities, and expansion of various parts of the Lund Center, including cardio and weight lifting areas, as well as the Human Performance Lab.
The conversations regarding Lund’s renovation began in August of 2017, according to President Rebecca Bergman. The beginning phases of construction come one year after the Board of Trustees gave approval for construction and renovation layouts to be created.
“Our plan all along the way has been to start construction in the spring of 2021. What has changed, due to the pandemic and a slower fundraising environment, is that we have shifted to a 2-phase construction project. We have completed fundraising for Phase 1, which is focused on a 71,000 square-foot addition that will provide a much-needed upgrade for our fitness facilities. In the coming months, we will continue to seek donations for Phase 2. Our hope is to complete that fundraising and move seamlessly into Phase 2 of construction, similar to our approach to the Nobel Hall of Science project. The major factor that led to the decision to start now is our belief that this project is important for the entire Gustavus community, with Phase 1 focused largely on our top priority of enhancing wellness and wellbeing,” Bergman said.
The renovation is a part of the college’s Show the World Campaign, which strives to “equip, energize, and elevate” Gustavus Adolphus College across the fields of academics, accessibility and opportunity. Other initiatives of the campaign have included creating an increase in scholarships and financial aid for many students, new faculty positions to draw in upstanding researchers and professors, and much more.
Where the physical factors of the Show the World Campaign can be seen in Nobel and Lund, many members of the greater Gustavus community are hoping to see care, time and money into the humanities and arts at Gustavus. On a recent Facebook post announcing the Lund renovation’s official start, there was a mix of reactions, both celebrating the advancements and showing concern about other areas of the Gustavus campus. In particular, many wondered if a potential renovation for the Schaefer Fine Arts Center buildings would also be included in the campaign for equipping and elevating the greater Gustavus community.
While the conversations of allotting time and resources to improving campus continue, in the meantime, the Gustavus community looks expectantly to how the expansion and renovation of the Lund Center will shape Gustavus athletics, community building, and the overall health of those who live and work on the Gustavus campus.
“The Lund Center project is a testament to the continued momentum at Gustavus,” Vice President for Advancement Thomas W. Young ’88 said.
“In collaboration with Gustavus alumni, family, and friends, we are building an even brighter tomorrow for current and future Gusties. We look forward to continuing these partnerships as we complete our fundraising for Phase II,” Young said.