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An atrium fills the area between the new addition, left, and the existing exterior wall of Walb Union, right. The expanded union includes a two-level bookstore, coffee shop, international student center and ballroom. The area opens to an outdoor amphitheater.
Published: August 7, 2011 3:00 a.m.

Building it better

IPFW project should impress students, community

The new recreation facility at the Gates Sports Center features a 200-meter running track, a cardiovascular exercise room, volleyball and basketball courts. The rubber surface, called Mondotrack, is the same used at the Beijing Olympics. The fitness center will be available to both IPFW and Ivy Tech students.
Photos by Samuel Hoffman | The Journal Gazette
An elevated corridor connects the new addition to Walb Student Union and Helmke Library, left, as part of a $42.4 million renovation and expansion project at IPFW. The walkway will serve as a study area and collaborative learning space for small groups.

When students return to IPFW for classes Aug. 22, they will be pleased to see finishing touches being applied to a project that will transform the campus: A stunning $42.4 million makeover and addition to the student union, library and athletic center, plus a new garage with 1,000 new parking spaces.

Construction began in early 2009 on what is unofficially known as the Student Services Complex, covering 173,000 square feet stretching from Helmke Library in the center of campus to the north end of Gates Sports Center, where a state-of-the-art indoor track and workout facility is certain to impress students and visitors alike.

The L-shaped addition begins with a wide, glass-enclosed corridor/study area linking the library to the greatly expanded Walb Union, featuring a grand new ballroom and bookstore, then ties into the athletic center with a light-filled new entrance flowing into the existing Gates Arena and the new track.

IPFW Vice Chancellor Walt Branson said the project is expected to be turned over, on schedule, for use on Nov. 1. When it opens, look for the addition to become the heart of campus activity, as was intended.

“We originally did this because those existing facilities were built 30-some years ago,” Branson said. “We’ve outgrown those. We needed a complex like this to get to the point where those facilities can be a lot more useful to the campus. We hope this will draw students to this area and then use it to build out academically to the north and south.”

Design Collaborative, the Fort Wayne architecture firm that designed IPFW’s student housing complex, worked with BSA Life Structures of Indianapolis to design the project. Branson said the Fort Wayne firm has been instrumental in helping the university realize its strategic plan. Fort Wayne’s Weigand Construction is the general contractor for the Student Services Complex, and Hagerman Construction is the general contractor for the new 1,000-space parking garage, which will make the community’s use of the Rhinehart Music Center much easier.

The project is paid for by student fees, campus reserve funds and gifts from donors.

– Karen Francisco
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