Providence, RI --The emphasis on the health and fitness of the Providence College community soared to unprecedented heights on September 4, 2007 with the opening of the Concannon Fitness Center.

The center's turnstiles buzzed with non-stop traffic in its first week of operation.  From its opening on September 4, through September 9th, over 8,150 visits were made. Of that number, 7,650 visits were made by students. 

The 23,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, which opened 15 months after groundbreaking, features the latest in fitness and exercise equipment that caters to all users, from novices to varsity student-athletes. With its glass façade, three-level atrium, and exterior landscaping, the fitness center sharply transforms the look of the Main Campus as well.

"This is beyond any expectations I had when the College started talking about a new fitness center. It's a first-class, state-of-the-art fitness facility," said Edward F. Laprey, director of recreational sports, whose staff will oversee the use of the center and who helped coordinate the purchasing of equipment and its layout.

The opening of the two-level Concannon Fitness Center significantly embellishes the workout experience for members of the College community from the standpoints of  health and fitness, convenience, and aesthetics, noted Laprey.

The new center more than triples the amount of workout space available to the general College community. There are 13,850 square feet of dedicated fitness space, compared to 3,800 square feet in the previous two fitness rooms in Alumni Hall.

Not counting the varsity athletics weight room, the center contains more than 160 freestanding pieces of equipment for upper- and lower-body training. The main attraction are the 62 cardiovascular machines-all but six of which are equipped with entertainment screens that offer cable TV.

In addition to the cardiovascular machines, of which there are eight types, the center offers fitness options from selectorized strength pieces and cable motion pieces to numerous workout benches and free weights. There also is equipment for the physically challenged.

From a convenience standpoint, the fitness center will be open seven days a week when school is in session, including from 6:00 a.m. to midnight on four weekdays. In all, the center will operate 114 hours each week-27 more hours than previously.

Aesthetically,  the new center offers sight lines to the exterior of the facility from virtually every workout location.

The $12 million fitness center is named for Board of Trustee member William F. Concannon '77 of Dallas, Texas, who donated a $2 million leadership gift. It will be dedicated and blessed on Thursday, October 4, 2007.

Above, Scott Hankard, graduate assistant in the Office of Recreational Sports, demonstrates the use of equipment.

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