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Photo via SAIT.ca<\/a><\/p>\r\n Renderings of the proposed new campus recreation centre at SAIT were released in early November. \u201cThe new facility is going to create an engaging experience for everyone on campus,\u201d said Wade Komal, SAIT’s director of athletics and recreation.<\/p>\r\n According to a press release, design elements of the building were chosen to complement the architecture of Heritage Hall, SAIT\u2019s century-old landmark building, and other buildings on campus. Most, if not all, current SAIT students will not still be attending when the new campus centre opens in 2027. James Millet, another student, shared a similar opinion.<\/p>\r\n \u201cWhat sucks is most of us won\u2019t be around to experience this building,” he said. “It looks like it\u2019s going to be amazing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Photo via SAIT.ca Renderings of the proposed new campus recreation centre at SAIT were released in early November.Construction on the building is expected to take up to three years, beginning in spring 2024, with completion [ READ MORE ]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":864,"featured_media":73259,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ef_editorial_meta_text_assignment-slug":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13,2,1588,1581,23,24,510,17],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-73088","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-campus-2","9":"category-sait-events","10":"category-sait-trojans","11":"category-sait-basketball","12":"category-sait-trojans-hockey","13":"category-saitsa","14":"category-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/864"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73088"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73088\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73501,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73088\/revisions\/73501"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Construction on the building is expected to take up to three years, beginning in spring 2024, with completion scheduled for 2027. The cost of construction, according to Skyrise Calgary,<\/a> is estimated at $180 million.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
The new recreation centre will have several amenities, including space where students can study and do homework, along with a SAITSA-run bar, a 1,000-seat hockey arena, three gymnasiums, and a fitness center. The building will also have a batting cage and two golf simulators and students will be able to rent skates and helmets and use the rink for public skating.
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be special. Too bad I won\u2019t be able to experience it as a student,\u201d said former SAIT student Deejay Todd.
The old campus centre closed in Spring 2022 and was torn down a year later. A temporary fitness centre has been set up behind the East Hall residence on SAIT’s main campus, which was designed to ensure barrier-free access. It features a fitness area, as well as a full-sized basketball court, which can also be used for badminton and volleyball.
The old campus centre had a swimming pool, which was a favourite among students, however it will not be replaced in the new centre.
\u201cMy favourite memory of the old building was when our basketball team won the ACAC Championship in what turned out to be our last game,\u201d said Kolmal.<\/p>\r\n
\u201cIf I were still here in 2027, I\u2019d love it. It will be a great gathering spot,\u201d said Erica Henderson.<\/p>\r\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/20231122-Instructional-Video-KF-2086_1.jpg\")