KNOXVILLE – The groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday for the University of Tennessee-s new student recreation facility.
UT President J. Wade Gilley was on hand to discuss what the facility means to the university community.
-It-s a recognition that the lives of Americans and students that come to this university, the way we play, is changing,- Gilley said.
-This state-of-the-art facility will be a tremendous asset to the university to attract students,- Gilley said.
The manager of the recreation facility said it will have a lot of room for equipment and activities.
-The facility itself will be approximately 140,000 square feet,- said Harold Denton.
-It will cost $20 million, and the good news for taxpayers is that student fees over the years will pay for the facility.-
The new facility will be located near the current aquatic center on Andy Holt Avenue on the UT campus.
Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe and representatives from the architect and construction firms involved in the project also attended the groundbreaking event.