Renovations to Archbold Gymnasium have been one of Syracuse University’s largest investments in recent years. The university’s main gym has been closed for more than a year as it undergoes a multimillion-dollar renovation project.

This fall, students will finally get a glimpse inside the university’s efforts. Archbold Gymnasium will reopen for the start of the semester as the Barnes Center at the Arch — an expanded health and wellness complex that consolidates several facilities that were previously scattered across campus.

SU’s Counseling Center and Health Services offices were moved over the summer to The Arch, which is between Carnegie Library and the Carrier Dome. Health Services acts as the university’s main health care center and includes a pharmacy. The move places the facilities in a more central location on campus. They were previously located on Walnut Place and Waverly Avenue, respectively.

Both the Counseling Center and Health Services portions of the complex are open, but the recreation side is slated to open by the start of the fall semester. About 7,000 square feet have been added to the original Archbold building, which was built in 1908. The Arch will feature a multi-floor fitness center, two 48-foot tall rock climbing walls, two swimming pools and a multi-activity sports court.

At The Arch, students will be able to find resources focused on mental wellbeing, like meditation, pet therapy, yoga and three MindSpa rooms where they can practice relaxation techniques. The complex will also house an esports gaming room with a virtual reality unit, 36 computer gaming stations and six stations for Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo.

First-year students and their families will be able to visit The Arch at 150 Sims Drive for an open house on Wednesday and Thursday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Named after Steven Barnes, an SU alumnus and former Board of Trustees chairman, The Arch is a key part of the university’s Campus Framework Plan, a 20-year project to further develop SU’s campus. Barnes donated $5 million in 2017 for The Arch project. SU has estimated the total cost to be $50 million.

Some phases of the Campus Framework Plan, like renovations to Schine Student Center and construction of the National Veterans Resource Complex, are underway. Other phases, like the installation of a $6 million University Place promenade, are already complete.

Renovations added about 7,000 square feet to the original Archbold Gymnasium building. Courtesy of Romy Weidner

SU Chancellor Kent Syverud said in a July email to the campus community that he was “blown away” after touring the facility. Tours will be available in the first weeks of the semester, and the university will hold a dedication ceremony on Sept. 13 when alumni are on campus for Orange Central — an annual celebration for alumni.

“The activities, staff, and programming that will take place in the many spaces I toured will dramatically enhance the student experience at Syracuse,” Syverud wrote in the email.

SU officials have given construction updates to the student body and occasionally have taken public feedback from SU’s Student Association. SA leaders have praised the creation of the center as its opening date approaches. Ghufran Salih, SA president for the 2018-19 academic year, told The Daily Orange she’s excited to see the increased accessibility of the building. She added that, at times, it was hard for students to navigate Schine Student Center.

Current SA President Mackenzie Mertikas told The D.O. that she hopes the facility will create a comprehensive idea of taking care of oneself.

“Your mental health is related to your physical health,” Mertikas said. “And being able to tie all that together and have all of the resources that you need in that one space, I think is just going to improve student life on campus.”

SU isn’t the only school unveiling new recreational facilities. Improving such campus resources has become a trend across colleges and universities in the U.S., with advocates and adversaries debating its benefits on higher education.

The National Bureau of Economic Research found in 2013 that students seem to appreciate spending on amenities more than academics, with four-year colleges not likely to see more students apply based on increased academic spending.

Some research has shown that some prospective students base their choice of school on the amenities offered. Several of SU’s peer institutions have spearheaded similar projects. The University of Connecticut will unveil its own three-story 191,000 square foot recreational facility, pegged at $100 million, on Aug. 26. In 2016, Cornell University spent $850,000 to renovate its climbing center.

At SU, Student Association leaders see it as a start.

“I think this is the first step, a step in the right direction of really taking that into account and making sure that we’re looking at health and wellness in a holistic way,” Mertikas said.

Published on August 21, 2019 at 2:25 pm

Contact Gabe: gkstern@syr.edu | @gabestern326