A year ago a proposal was pitched by Director of the Foy Fitness and Recreational Center David Davenport alongside Student Affairs to add more space to the Foy. The project was submitted to the Tennessee Board of Regents in 2013 to move forward as a part of the budget.
Once the project gets off the ground, Davenport explained there will be more gym courts, more locker rooms, a covering for the pool to make it indoor and Health Services will make the transition from Ellington to the Foy.
“There is a need for it,” Davenport said. “We need more.”
Kasey Panczer, a graduate assistant at the Foy, said the fitness center needs more lockers because they sell out quickly as well as other complaints they hear from students.
“We get comments all the time as to why we don’t have an indoor pool,” Panczer said.
Vice President of Student Affairs Sheryl Byrd said $8.7 million is the most that they think they can finance.
“It’s sort of like buying a car or a house,” Byrd said. “The bottom line is do you have enough income to make the payment. We have to design it around what we can afford rather than everything we might want. Unfortunately, this amount of money doesn’t build as much as you might think.”
APSU is also working towards building a new football stadium and Davenport expressed that the Foy project will not take place until after the stadium is complete.
According to Mitch Robinson, Vice President of Finance and Administration, the earliest time the project can be brought forward is July of 2014.
“Nothing is set in stone,” Robinson said. He explained that the estimated 2014 date is for the hiring of the designer and not the actual construction. The construction will possibly take place in 2015 and nothing will be completed until 2016.
The estimated cost to “upgrade” the Foy will likely exceed over $8 million. Different estimates came from different designers based on each square foot.
“It’s just an estimate,” Robinson said. “It could be more, could be less.”
The backing for this project and pretty much all projects on campus come primarily from the student activity fees and support from the university.
“I believe it’s very important for us to keep moving forward,” Byrd said. “To provide the best services and facilities possible for students.”
