quinnipiac university

Quinnipiac University Opens $45 Million Recreation and Wellness Center

The $45 million facility is equipped with new fitness studios, a rock-climbing wall, and a demonstration kitchen. 

NBC Universal, Inc.

A new wellness center is open to students at Quinnipiac University.  

The project began in 2019.

The $45 million facility is equipped with a number of new fitness studios, a rock-climbing wall, and a demonstration kitchen. 

On Friday, the school celebrated the official grand opening. Now, students have a new space to focus on their health and wellness.

"Our students have been so engaged with this project from our focus groups to the use of the facility during the first week of the spring semester," said Mike Medina, Quinnipiac's Director of Recreation. "This space really encompasses really everything they wanted in a facility. It is environmentally friendly, it has so much more space."

It's exciting for those like graduate student Taylor Proulx who hits the gym on a regular basis.

"Four times a week, I come here. It opens up at 6 in the morning. I aim to come at 7," said Proulx.

But he wasn't the only early riser Friday morning. Freshman Lia Scorpio was getting in her fitness routine at the start of her day.

"I've been coming every morning actually. It's like the new year and we're all trying to start something good, just work on ourselves better. It just feels like a safe space to be," said Scorpio.

She says the old space was small and crowded but that has changed significantly. The facility is a brand-new building attached to the old space and home to a fuel bar and a kitchen to learn new recipes.

The state-of-the art facility has so much to offer students. Medina says there's a reason for it.

"So much of their time spent outside of the classroom should be nurtured in a way that helps them succeed beyond their time at Quinnipiac," said Medina.

Medina says the old facility would typically bring in 3,500 students in a week. When doors to the new facility opened in December, it brought 2,900 students in just one day.

The cost to open the facility did not raise tuition or student fees.

The center is also space for students with disabilities. The facility has adaptive equipment, including upper body exercisers and a 27-foot rock climbing wall to get students moving and putting themselves and their health first.

Contact Us