Brunswick Community College sees the opening of a 55,000-square-foot Fitness & Aquatics Center, and Arizona and Florida sports complexes open.
Representing the largest athletic or recreation facility in Brunswick County, N.C., the 55,000-square-foot Brunswick Community College Fitness & Aquatics Center opened in March. Featuring the county's first publicly owned aquatics facility - including a 25-yard pool and a 1,584-square-foot therapy pool - the center was made possible after voters in 2004 approved a $30 million bond for a variety of new construction projects. Major features include a 9,000-square-foot gym with seating for 1,500 spectators, a fitness center, a group exercise studio, a 1/12-mile elevated running track, concessions operations, and a personal training and massage therapy room.
A pair of new or renovated Major League Baseball spring training ballparks debuted in late winter. In Arizona, the $108 million Goodyear Recreational Sports Complex now serves as the spring home to the Cleveland Indians, who beginning next year will share the complex with the Cincinnatti Reds. Flanked by two full-size baseball practice fields, one agility training field and two practice infields, the stadium also is the centerpiece of the master-planned Ballpark Village, which provides retail opportunities for year-round use. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays sold out all their spring training games after a $27 million renovation of the Charlotte Sports Park, the former spring training home of the Texas Rangers. Only 90 miles from Tampa, the stadium now includes a 40,000-square-foot clubhouse with a state-of-the-art weight training area, specialized training suites and locker rooms.
