The future Lancer Sport and Recreation Centre will provide a cutting-edge facility that brings together University of Windsor students, academics, and the community.

"The Lancer Sport and Recreation Centre (LSRC) will completely transform the student experience at the University of Windsor," said Michael Khan, dean of the Faculty of Human Kinetics. "The facility will allow the Lancer family to be immersed in community groups, students will have more opportunities to be physically active and our researchers will be able to gain experiential learning thanks to the new LSRC."

The $73-million facility will be added to the south face of the St. Denis Athletics and Recreation Centre and will feature a new eight-lane 25 metre pool, a gymnasium with seating for more than 2,500 people, multipurpose areas and social spaces, a fitness centre, new outdoor soccer fields, cricket pitch, perimeter walking path, and artificial turf field.

Representatives from CS&P Architects and Colliers Project Leaders, as well as University staff involved in the project, hosted an open house on Wednesday to discuss the new facility.

"We've created this nucleus that ties existing spaces like the fieldhouse into a social hub where there will be food kiosks and a place for students to hang out and study," said Craig Goodman, a principal architect with CS&P. "From the lounge, you'll have visibility into all the new facilities like the fitness spaces, multipurpose rooms, gymnasium, and the new aquatic centre."

Goodman said student input has been a vital component of selecting the LSRC's features.

"We've been having meetings with students since last summer and the main emphasis was creating an agile multipurpose space that can accommodate many kinds of uses," Goodman said. "The five multipurpose rooms can be used for martial arts, yoga, dance, Crossfit and indoor cycling."

CS&P principal architect Craig Goodman describes the features of the Lancer Sport and Recreation Centre during an open house on Feb. 28, 2018.

Biological sciences undergraduate student Stephanie Milling said she's most excited for the extra space to accommodate both the varsity and intramural sports leagues.

"Right now, it's difficult to have everyone in that space, especially when there are sporting events going on," Milling said.

"This is a nice design, it's open and it looks like it will be accessible for everyone."

Goodman said the exterior features of the new facility will also provide more opportunities for recreation.

"The artificial turf field will have lighting which will allow it to be used in extended hours and season," he said. "There will be new practice fields for soccer, a cricket pitch, outdoor ball hockey, basketball courts, and an amphitheatre."

The Site Plan for the Lancer Sport and Recreation Centre.

While construction is not likely to start until the end of this year, Goodman said preliminary work on the site will start as early as next month.

UWindsor students will contribute to the facility's capital cost as a result of the referendums held by the University of Windsor Students' Alliance (UWSA), the Graduate Student Society, and the Organization of Part-time University Students.

Goodman said the facility is expected to take about two and a half years and should be completed by Fall of 2021.

"The LSRC will put Windsor on the map," said UWSA president Jeremiah Bowers. "This will create a bridge between our students, employees and our Lancers to the different community groups that come in and use this space."

For more information about the Lancer Sport and Recreation Centre, visit www.uwindsor.ca/LSRC.

Dylan Kristy