The Department of Recreational Sports, after hearing feedback from students as to how on-campus fitness facilities could be improved, decided to expand and renovate the Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports.

The Dedman Center mission statement – “To provide an open, safe environment for recreation, learning, and social interaction while meeting user demands” – was kept in mind when blueprints for the changes were being developed.

Workers broke ground in Spring 2004 on the 165,000-square-foot improvements, which, according to the department’s Web site, were, “initiated by students who envisioned a place to promote physical fitness while fostering community, self-awareness, and emotional well-being.”

The expansion will be completed in two phases, the first of which will be completed this fall.

Phase I, an addition of 115,000 square feet, will introduce a 40-foot climbing wall, two sand volleyball courts and a Java City Café to campus.

Students can also look forward to a vast improvement in intramural sports – a pair of new basketball/volleyball courts with spectator seating for 300.

In addition, technology will sweep through Dedman with computer terminals and a big-screen TV. Students will also be able to stay fit on new elliptical machines and treadmills that will overlook the downtown Dallas skyline.

The current Dedman Center will remain open as construction continues throughout the summer.

Expected to be completed by Summer 2006, Phase II will tack on 50,000 feet of recreational sport space, encompassing a variety of activities from soccer to swimming to squash.

Six badminton courts and six glass-back racquetball courts will be installed, joining a three-lane indoor track and a 1,900-square-foot martial arts/cheerleading room as new fitness amenities.

The Dedman Center expansion, as stated on the Web site, “[will provide] the entire SMU community with continuous access to fitness and recreation facilities.”