New, state of the art options for physical fitness are a step closer to reality at St. Clair College.
The college held a formal groundbreaking Friday afternoon at its main Windsor campus for its new Sports Park, a $21.5 million outdoor complex that will be designed to enhance the athletic and physical fitness offerings to students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
The Sports Park, which will complement the nearby indoor SportsPlex, will be located in the area of the existing recreational fields on the south side of the main campus. It will feature a soccer pitch with artificial turf, a new baseball and softball diamond, beach volleyball courts, and a tennis centre bankrolled by philanthropists Barry and Stephanie Zekelman, who were among the attendees at the groundbreaking.
Also providing financial support and represented at the event were Dominos Pizza Canada and Windsor Family Credit Union. The bulk of the cost is being handled by the college's Student Representative Council and the Student Athletic Association, with money raised through an extension of the health and wellness fee paid by students with their tuition.
St. Clair College President Patti France said the college is grateful for all of the support being given to an endeavour that will enrich the lives of those on campus.
"The investment you are making in the physical fitness of our students is also an investment in their intellectual well-being as well as their academic success," said France.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, who grew up not far from the campus and remembers using the college's pool, said the collaboration by a variety of entities toward the Sports Park works the same as the college's cooperation with the community.
"They've always appealed to the broader community, and their students have always been involved in multiple programs throughout the city," said Dilkens. "They've always volunteered and donated their time and they've always provided a better experience and a better place for our residents in the city of Windsor."
Work on the Sports Park is expected to begin in earnest when the weather warms up in the spring.
