Opus announced that plans have been approved to design and construct a 180,000-square-foot athletic and recreation center on the main campus of the University of St. Thomas located in Saint Paul, Minn. This expansion is the largest in the university’s history.

 

The named Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex will include a 2,000-seat basketball and volleyball arena, an aquatics center with an eight-lane, 25-meter swimming pool and diving area, a new field house with a 200-meter indoor track, fitness and weight training areas, and classroom and lab facilities. Construction is scheduled to begin in May and is slated for completion in 2010.

 

“This is another great chapter in Opus’s partnership with St. Thomas, and it’s the culmination of several years of collaboration and planning,” said Mark Rauenhorst, chairman and CEO of Opus. “We’re essentially putting a new front door on the campus with this building, and when it’s finished, the university will have the facilities to compete with any school for top scholars and athletes.”

 

The facility will incorporate several sustainable elements aimed to reduce energy consumption while aligning with Opus’ sustainable development practices and priorities set forth by the university. Sustainable features will include recycling waste from the swimming pool to pre-heat domestic water for showers and hand-washing, a lighter color roof to reduce heat island effect, increased exterior glazing for daylighting, low volume toilets and restricted-flow showers to conserve water, plant materials that don’t require irrigation and increased insulation in the walls and roofs.

 

Designed by Opus Architects & Engineers, L.L.C., with assistance from Hastings-Chivetta of St. Louis, the athletic complex reflects latest design trends by incorporating glass throughout the building to create an open and aesthetically pleasing space. Glass also will increase daylighting, provide natural lighting and visual access to the outdoors. An internal concourse designed through the center of the building on the second level will introduce light through skylights and allow passersby to look down into the athletic and recreational spaces on the ground level below.

 

Additionally, the university is proposing construction of a new 240,000-square-foot student center, which also would be designed by Opus Architects & Engineers and constructed by Opus Northwest. If approved, construction on the student center is planned to commence in the fall of 2010 with completion scheduled for early 2012.

 

Opus has designed or built more than 20 buildings on St. Thomas campuses throughout the last 50 years. The company’s higher education portfolio includes more than 86 projects totaling in excess of 8 million square feet completed or under development for nearly 20 universities across the country.

 

Opus Northwest, L.L.C. is headquartered in Minneapolis and is one of five regional companies within the Opus Group. The Opus Group, a group of independent operating companies, is a full-service real estate development company with more than 55 years of experience. Opus is recognized as a national leader in office, industrial, retail, multifamily, government and institutional development and has offices across the United States and in Canada. Committed to creating great real estate, Opus implements best practices in sustainable design and construction to maximize building performance and reduce environmental impact. A community steward since its inception, the Opus Group is committed to the long-term development of people and communities by contributing 10 percent of its pre-tax profits to community organizations. For more information, visit www.opuscorp.com.