California State University, Northridge
Campus Recreation Center Feasibility Study Update and Referendum Support
Brailsford & Dunlavey was retained by California State University, Northridge in 2000--and again in 2006--to provide professional consulting services for a proposed new recreation center on the University's main campus. By 2000, the University had a small fitness center at the University Student Union. The fitness center's popularity had grown over the previous few years, despite the fact that the size constraints could not accommodate significant increases in memberships. Furthermore, the campus had grown to over 27,000 students.
B&D was selected to make recommendations on student recreation. B&D's services included a detailed campus recreation market analysis, interviewing building users, defining outline program requirements, projecting acceptable fee levels, and developing consensus between the Department of Kinesiology, the University Student Union, and the Associated Students. After studying various financing options, B&D determined that the University Student Union was the most appropriate entity to finance the project. Based on that information, B&D recommended that the University move forward with initiating a student referendum to pay for a proposed new recreation center.
B&D then assisted the University on the referendum process, which called for a phased-in student fee to help pay for the facility. The referendum passed in April 2007 with support from 59% of students. The 120,000 square foot recreation center and outdoor field complex is expected to be completed by the fall of 2011.
