Marquette Opens New Wellness and Rec Center
Wellness + Helfaer Recreation, opened Jan. 13, blends fitness and well-being.
Wellness + Helfaer Recreation, 525 N. 16th St. Photo taken Jan. 30, 2025 by Sophie Bolich.
Marquette University‘s Wellness + Helfaer Recreation center was a flurry of activity in late 2024, as construction workers hustled to put the finishing touches on the building before the new year. A similar buzz filled the facility, 525 N. 16th St., Thursday — but this time, its occupants had traded work belts for workout clothes.
Wellness + Helfaer Recreation opened to students on Jan. 13, coinciding with the start of the spring semester.
The 195,000-square-foot, $100 million facility blends fitness and well-being, offering an indoor track and flexible workout spaces, along with health services including a medical clinic, counseling center, meditation rooms, substance abuse programming and more.
Both physical fitness and mental health management are critical to overall wellness, so bringing them together in one space was a natural fit, said Luis de Zengotita, Marquette’s chief wellness officer.
“One of the number one things students are looking for is how a university helps with their mental health, and more than 60% of students who don’t form retainment in the school, they leave because of those concerns,” he said.
The new facility hopes to subvert that statistic by providing an accessible place for comprehensive care. “Mental health is the thread we’re hoping to tie in throughout the entire building and all of our programming,” Zengotita added.
That philosophy also manifests in the layout of the building, which is designed to feel open and connected, with fitness areas flowing into one another. But there’s also private studios and sequestered spots for those seeking some separation.
“We have different areas and pockets of space,” said Lora Strigens, vice president for planning and facilities management, noting that cardio and weight equipment is dispersed throughout the building. “Not everybody likes to be in a high-volume area.”
On its first floor, the center features large, communal workout spaces with cardio equipment, free weights, weight machines and multi-purpose turf areas. Floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides of the room overlook expansive court space — basketball and volleyball to the north and tennis to the south. Additional multi-purpose courts can be configured for most other sports, from pickleball to badminton.
The facility also houses a 25-yard swimming pool, 0.16-mile running track, a spin studio and two group exercise rooms. Additional amenities include a self-service vending kiosk, courtesy of Marquette’s dining partner Sodexo, and a lounge area for studying or socializing.
The medical clinic, located on the second floor, includes exam rooms, observation rooms, treatment rooms, immunization rooms and a dedicated X-ray area. The previous clinic was across the street, inside Schroeder Complex.
A key component of the building is the LOVELLSTRONG Center for Student Well-Being, which honors the university’s late president Mike Lovell and his wife, Amy. The center features gathering spaces, large-group counseling spaces, private counseling offices, a meditation room and a group activity center.
This programming complements the counseling center, which includes private offices, an updated “Zen Den” and quiet spaces, a gathering and study area, a third-level outdoor terrace (still under construction) and a third-level multi-purpose room.
The Wellness + Helfaer Recreation Center project was funded by a combination of donations, external partnerships and university capital. An existing student recreation and wellness fee of $300 per year also supported the redevelopment.
Beginning in 2022, the existing, 50-year-old fitness center was almost completely gutted, leaving only a shell at the north and south ends intact. A partnership between Workshop Architects and St. Louis-based HOK reimagined the building, resulting in the new complex.
J.H. Findorff & Son led the general contracting.
To learn more and see previous photos of the structure’s progress, read our earlier coverage from November 2024 and January 2024.
Photos
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