Correction: Brooks City-Base Health and Wellness Center, the university gym, is located at 2860 Louis Bauer. Centro Fitness is located at 3800 Commercial Ave. Centro Fitness has an agreement with A&M-San Antonio to provide discounted memberships to students and faculty with a university ID.
By Allen Gross
Brooks City-Base Health and Wellness Center, the university gym, is expected to open this month, but its official opening for use has not clearly been established.
The gym, located east of Brooks City-Base Campus building at 3800 Commercial Ave., was left behind by the U.S. Air Force.
Kinesiology Professor John Smith said, “Although the gym should be open in November, I’m not sure if it will be open for students until spring semester.”
“There will be a grand opening ceremony sometime in December, and we will be coordinating with the news and the school for when that time comes,” Heather Williams, business development director of Stone Oak Athletics Association, said.
Philip Elmore, property manager of Brooks Development Authority, said that he anticipates the gym to be ready and open by mid-November.
Although students, faculty and classes will use the health and wellness center, Stone Oak Athletics has a contract with Brooks Authority to manage the gym.
Brooks Authority also has a contract with Texas A&M-San Antonio for the use of the academic building and gym on Brooks City-Base.
The Mesquite reported Sept. 20 that Brooks Campus was leased for 5 years from Brooks Authority for $3,276,480, Rick Trefzer, assistant vice president for finance and administration, said. Every year, the lease agreement requires the university to pay an additional dollar per square foot because of the escalation of rent, Trefzer said in the article.
Kinesiology Professor Patrica Holmes said, “At this point, unless there is a fee already established, students will not be charged any additional charges to use the facility.”
Joe Garcia, interim head of the School of Education and Kinesiology, restated Holmes’ quote saying he is uncertain if there is any fee in students’ tuition and university officials have not submitted anything for fall 2012.
Although the gym is located on the Brooks Campus, it will accommodate the students from Main Campus also. IDs are required to enter Brooks City-Base Health and Wellness Center.
Elmore said the 2,200 square foot complex gym will offer a full basketball court, free weights, nautilus equipment, cardio rooms, a sauna and a full outside track and field.
When the talk of a gym floats around the campus, excitement and curiosity are among the first responses back from students.
“Every college should have a gym,” human relations senior Eric Herrera said. “It’s about time that our school got one. It would save current and future students time and money to utilize that facility.”
Communications senior Rachel Hancock said that she looks forward to the track being available.
“That would allow me to go for safe walks in between my classes,” she said.
Faculty members are also anticipating the opening of the gym.
Holmes said the gym is a big benefit because the department doesn’t have a facility to work in.
“Part of what we do is teach teachers how to teach. It’s hard to teach something without anything,” Holmes said.
Currently, the future teachers in kinesiology use the hallways at Brooks City-Base Campus to complete assignments. Although the hallways are not fully functional to perform physical fitness needs, kinesiology students have adapted to what is available.
Another gym, located off-campus at Military Drive and Commercial Avenue, is currently available for student use.
Centro Fitness has an agreement with A&M-San Antonio to provide services for faculty, staff and students.
Membership Coordinator Laura Mata said even after the gym opens at Brooks Campus, students and faculty will still be able to obtain membership at Centro Fitness with a student ID.
To learn more about Centro Fitness’ membership, visit www.centrofitnesssa.com or call 210.334.3800.
To learn more about the Brooks City-Base Health and Wellness Center, visit www.stoneoakathletics.com/BrooksCity or call 210.621.3858.
