Last week, University officials announced that Gossen-Gasaway-Holloway, Ltd., a local firm based in Thibodaux, will be the architect for the campus recreation center. Skipper Holloway, the firm’s architect who will oversee the project, unveiled preliminary designs consisting of a 46,000 square foot first floor and 18,000 square foot second floor with a running track overlooking basketball courts.”This is an important day in the University’s life,” University President Stephen Hulbert said at the press conference. “In this day and age, universities have to be competitive. They have to reach out and market themselves and have facilities that are attractive to students, staff and visitors.”

Michael Matherne, director of campus recreation, said the programming aspect of the process will begin in the next few weeks which will consists of compiling student feedback from focus groups and surveys.

“We’ve been doing a lot of that already for the past three years,” Matherne said. “It’s not only a building for the next couple of years, but it needs to be designed in a manner that as the University and student expectations evolve it is dynamic enough to change over time.”

Holloway said the programming phase will be followed by basic architectural services such as schematic design, reviews and design development. Once the design is approved, the project will enter the construction documents phase and bidding and negotiations will begin. This process is expected to take ten to 12 months depending on what can be compressed, Holloway said. He said the construction will take between 20 and 24 months.

“To finally see the ball rolling as a student and to see our $75 going into action is a great day,” Damian Breaux, Student Government Association president said. “For students to have a place to retire after class and alleviate stress whether it’s working out or running the track, will be a big morale booster for the student body as a whole.”

The recreation center project will be a public/private venture with the Nicholls State University Facilities Corporation, a 501C3 non-profit entity that was created in the summer of 2002 to promote the mission of Nicholls and assist the University in projects. Gossen-Gasaway-Holloway, Ltd. was adopted by the corporation as the architect, as suggested by the evaluation committee.

The University hopes to build the center on the east side of Bowie Road. Michael Davis, assistant vice president for business affairs for procurement and physical plant operations, said Nicholls hopes to buy between 100 and 130 acres of land, which is currently owned by Acadia Agricultural Holdings Co., not only for the recreation center but also for the future expansion of the University. He said University officials plan to have the land secured before the end of the calendar year but it will not be before October. The land is being purchased through capital outlay funds from the state.

Davis said there are a few alternative sites available if Nicholls cannot negotiate the land deal, with one possibility being on the south side of John L. Guidry Stadium.

Gossen-Gasaway-Holloway, Ltd. has been based in Thibodaux for 36 years with an additional office in Hammond. The firm designed the $11 million Claude B. Pennington Jr. Student Activity Center at Southeastern and projects for Lafourche Parish School System.

Director of Southeastern’s Student Activity Center Dollie Hebert said she gives Gossen-Gasaway-Holloway a five out of five rating for their architectural work on their campus. Hebert said the center, which opened in June 2001, has received a tremendous response from the students with approximately 1,000 members attending daily.

Hebert said the design and construction process at Southeastern took four years but once the capital outlay was approved things moved quickly. One year was spent on design and development and construction took about 18 months.

“Mike Matherne has gone to a number of activity centers and did his homework,” Hebert said. “So with the architect and director of campus recreation Nicholls has I would assume Nicholls will have the same success as Southeastern’s center has.”

Recreation center proposed floor plans:

First Floor:
* Weight training room
* Gymnasium (two basketball courts)
* Women’s and men’s locker rooms
* Fitness room
* Lobby
* Two racquetball courts
* Juice bar
* Administrative office suite

Second floor:
* Elevated jogging track surrounding
area open to first floor
* Two multipurpose rooms
* Classroom

Surrounding area:
* Open areas for possible additions
of a swimming pool, gymnasium
addition and wellness center