The University of Colorado in Boulder pulled a sauna, simulated golfing area and exterior renovations from its $63.5 million remodel of the recreation center after the project's estimates came back 18 percent over budget.
Expected to be finished by August 2013, the remodel is being funded entirely through student fees totaling $125 per semester beginning fall 2013. CU officials say that because students are funding the project through fees, they are paying close attention to what students listed as priorities in a survey they completed.
Steve Najera, associate director of facilities at the rec center, told the Daily Camera that students who responded to the survey placed priority on more space in the weight room, extra basketball courts, the outdoor leisure pool, an additional group exercise room and a climbing wall.
"This whole renovation is being paid for 100 percent by students, so obviously they have the loudest voice," Najera told the newspaper. "We looked at the priorities of the students and what they had deemed top priorities, and focused the money in those areas. We had to make some tough choices."
Few students listed the sauna as a priority though others argue saunas are standard amenities in most workout facilities. The sauna would have been open year-round compared to the planned outdoor pool that will only be open April through October.