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After Two Years of Construction, BRIC Ready to Open Friday

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Cal Poly Pomona students have watched for the past two years as construction workers have built the Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex on campus.

On Friday, they will get their first glimpse inside the three-story, steel-and-glass facility when it opens during the “Break in the BRIC at BroncoFusion” event for students on Friday, Sept. 26, at 4 p.m.

The event, hosted by Associated Students Inc., will include a pool party, indoor soccer, three-on-three basketball tournaments, live music, prizes and giveaways. Students can observe demonstrations or orientations for such activities as mixed martial arts, yoga, boxing and rock climbing.

“ASI is excited to unveil the BRIC to CPP students for the first time.  We expect they will be inspired from the moment they walk in the door,” says Krista Smith, ASI’s director of recreation.

A formal grand opening ceremony for students, faculty, staff and alumni is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 8.

With three towering stories, the BRIC looks like a futuristic aircraft hovering over the ground south of the Bronco Student Center and west of Kellogg Gym. The $57-million facility, which will be funded through a quarterly student fee, contains 165,000 square feet of space, including the outdoor pool area.

Entering the BRIC, students, staff and faculty will walk into a naturally ventilated lobby by crossing a mat that captures dirt and debris, reducing the amount of maintenance required in the rest of the building. It is one of the many design features that will help support the university’s and ASI’s sustainability goals. ASI is seeking a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification for the BRIC.

Visitors will then encounter a high-tech turnstile that will scan a 3-D image of their hand and match it with BRIC records to verify eligibility to enter the facility. Students can register early on Wednesday, Sept. 24, and Thursday, Sept. 25.

But what dominates the lobby is the 53-foot rock-climbing wall. The wall has stations for rappelling and top roping, with colorful hand and footholds to facilitate climbing for all levels of experience; a 12-foot high section facilitates for free climbing or bouldering.

The men’s and women’s locker rooms are on the first floor, with lockers for daily or quarterly use. Visitors will no longer have to bring their own locks: each of the lockers will have a digital keypad or other built-in combination lock, Smith says. A similarly equipped universal changing room is available for members and guests with disabilities or who do not feel comfortable using gender-assigned locker rooms.

The first floor includes an equipment checkout stand; a lounge with large-screen TVs and space for 60 people; five fitness studios for aerobics, dance, spinning, yoga and other exercise classes; and a full-service Jamba Juice.

The flooring throughout the first floor corridor is made of concrete and decorated with recycled glass. Waste and recycling receptacles are made from recycled milk jugs.

The spacious outdoor pool area includes three barbecues, 50 chaise lounges, and 60 chairs and tables. It can accommodate up to 1,400 people on deck and 234 people in the pool.

The 10-lane lap swimming pool and attached recreational swimming area are solar-heated by photovoltaics on top of the pool equipment building. The pool is a shared facility with the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, which uses it for academic classes.

The second floor includes three activity courts for volleyball, badminton or basketball. Each court has spectator seating, an electronic scoreboard, and basketball hoops that retract to the third-floor ceiling. A fourth court has Plexiglas partitions like an ice hockey rink; it even has sideline boxes for each team. The court will be used for additional activities including indoor soccer and floor hockey.

The courts give ASI dedicated facilities for intramural sports league games, Smith says.

The second floor also contains clusters of exercise equipment, including cardio machines, free weights, battle ropes and medicine balls, and monkey bars.

An indoor track circles the perimeter of the third floor; five and a half laps around the track will constitute a mile, Smith estimates.

Other cardio and strength-training equipment is located on the third floor, including Cybex and Technogym machines. The latter have seats that swing out so wheelchair users can access and utilize the equipment. In addition, two racquetball courts are available. Many of the third-floor exercise areas overlook the second floor.

On the ceiling, tubular skylights redirect and distribute sunlight throughout the BRIC, reducing the need for artificial lighting.

ASI built the BRIC in hopes that it will improve students’ quality of life on campus by engaging and retaining them; recruit prospective students; provide jobs and internships for students; and improve student health and wellness.

Faculty, staff and alumni also can use the BRIC for the same $140 quarterly fee paid by students. Advanced registration is available on Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information, visit The Campus Crop.

 

The 53-foot-high rock climbing wall in the lobby of the new Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex (BRIC). The 10-lane lap swimming pool with attached recreational swimming area at the new Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex. The deck area features barbecues, chaise lounges, chairs and tables and can accommodate 1,400 people. At the entrance to the BRIC, a scanner captures a 3-D image of a visitor's hand, verifying eligibility to enter the facility. Spinning cycles await use in one of the fitness studios on the first floor of the new Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex that opens Friday, Sept. 26.

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