9/18/2009

Rice to celebrate grand opening of Gibbs Recreation Center Sept. 25

FROM RICE NEWS STAFF REPORTS

Just 17 months after breaking ground for the new facility, Rice will celebrate the grand opening of the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center Sept. 25 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Rec Center Closures

Sept. 18: Current recreation center is closed for its move to the Gibbs Recreation Center. It will re-open Sept. 19.
Sept. 21-25: Administration offices at the current recreation center will be closed.
Sept. 23: The current recreation facility will close at 5 p.m. for staff training in the new building. It will re-open Sept. 24 at 6 a.m.
Sept. 25: The current facility will be closed in preparation for the dedication and grand opening of the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center from 2 to 4 p.m.

After the ceremony, all Rice community members will be granted complimentary access into the new building until 10 p.m. to sample new equipment, tour the facility and sign up for memberships. The indoor pool at the current facility will remain operational until the 50-meter pool at the new rec center is completed.

Members of the Rice community are invited and will be granted complimentary access to the new building until 10 p.m. to tour the facility, sample new equipment and sign up for memberships.

Located across the street from Rice Memorial Center, the state-of-the-art workout and health facility features a 2,400-square-foot recreation pool, a 50-meter competition pool, two indoor and two outdoor basketball courts, an indoor soccer arena, four racquetball courts, two squash courts, a 9,000-square-foot weight and cardio workout room and four multipurpose rooms for group fitness and dance classes.

A formal dedication ceremony will commemorate the building's completion and the contributions to Rice University by alumni Barbara '73 and David '71 Gibbs, who made the lead gift for the $41 million facility.

The Gibbs Recreation Center will assume its normal hours of operation Sept. 26. During the school year, the rec center will be open Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. until midnight; Friday from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.; Saturday from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

During summer recess, the center will be open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m.; Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Memberships to the new facility are currently available for Rice students, faculty, staff, retirees, Rice trustees and their spouses/domestic partners. Families of current college masters can also sign up at this time. Full membership information, including rates and forms, is available at http://tinyurl.com/nwaror.

Applications can be processed at the Operations Desk in the current recreation center. All forms of payment, including credit cards, are accepted. On Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Recreation Center will have a satellite location in the Grand Hall lobby at Rice Memorial Center to process membership applications; only checks will be accepted at this location.

For more information about the Gibbs Recreation Center, including membership rates, visit http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~ricerec/.