Come Home to a New Attraction

The star attraction of Homecoming 2017 won't be hard to notice.

The Homecoming Weekend lineup Sept. 29-Oct. 1 will include the standard menu of fun reunions, a 22nd annual Killer Bee 5K and Bumble Rumble fun run, the Taste of Ambrose and Fighting Bees Football.

Anyone who ventures onto campus, however, will certainly notice the 80,000-square-foot new addition: the brand new Wellness and Recreation Center.

"Yes, definitely, I think it will be the star attraction of Homecoming this year," said Associate Vice President for Advancement Sally Crino '01 MBA. "People are excited to see it come online. It's such a huge footprint and it is exciting to see."

Homecoming weekend will feature the dedication of the building on the evening of Friday, Sept. 29. Crino said donors, neighbors and Ambrosians of all kinds are invited to attend. The WRC also will be part of campus tours from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Although a few challenges typical to construction of a building this size may delay the unofficial opening next month, Vice President for Finance Mike Poster said the hope is that students will have access most of the building when school begins in late August.

"We want to be realistic," he said. "In a large, complex project like this, there will be delays. We are still hoping to open by the start of school or a little after."