Cal State Marcos Breaks Ground on New Student Wellness and Recreation Center
Cal State San Marcos held a Construction Kickoff on Wednesday, Nov. 12, to celebrate construction being underway for the Student Wellness and Recreation Center (SWRC), which is expected to open by summer 2027. Approved in a CSUSM student-led referendum in October 2024, the center will be located directly next to The QUAD housing complex across Barham Drive from University Village Apartments.
Partnering with Sea Breeze Properties, developers of North City, which includes CSUSM’s North Commons, The QUAD and the Extended Learning Building, the SWRC will be the latest addition to campus life.
“This has been a long time coming, and we couldn’t be more proud to be here today,” said Darren Levitt, vice president and partner of Sea Breeze Properties and emcee for the Construction Kickoff. “I don’t know of any other development in the country that includes all of these elements in one project.”
Rendering courtesy of Cal State San Marcos
Gas South Arena Ready for $170M Renovation
Gwinnett County is set to invest more than $170 million in a major renovation of Gas South Arena.
Over the last 23 years, Gas South Arena has welcomed nearly 20 million visitors.
Now, it will undergo extensive upgrades to its security, seating and parking facilities.
“We’ll basically have a brand new building at the end of our renovation,” said Stan Hall, President & CEO of Gas South District.
Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson learned this renovation is part of a broader plan to develop the Gas South District with new restaurants, housing, retail and office spaces.
“Having these kind of redevelopment projects like this in Gwinnett helps us grow our tax digest, which will bring in more money, more revenue to help us service our residents,” said Gwinnett County Commissioner Kirkland Carden.
Midland College Opens New Esports Arena
Midland College officially opened its new Chaps Esports Arena, now the largest and first-of-its-kind collegiate gaming facility in the Permian Basin. The space features high-end PCs, Nintendo Switch consoles, and retro arcade machines including Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga.
College leaders say the arena was built to support competition, collaboration, and connection among students, and early reactions show it’s already doing just that.
The esports arena isn’t just about gaming, it’s about giving students a place to belong.
“It’s much more than just sitting there at a computer and competing against one another,” said Andrew Latham, an Assistant Professor & Head of Gaming Club at Midland College.
