Jake Lacey/Arizona Daily Wildcat Geography junior Tyler Savoy and freshman majoring in retailing and consumer sciences Lauren West voted on the proposed $25 fee to fund the Rec Center's expansion. The referendum passed by 72 percent.

72 percent of voters OK expansion of Rec Center with fee's continuation

Students overwhelmingly voted to keep the $25-per-semester fee to pay for an expansion to the Rec Center, which will continue to 2041, officials said.

The vote, which began Tuesday at 8 a.m. and closed last night at 8, drew 2,392 student votes, including more than 1,000 professional and graduate students, according to the Associated Students of the University of Arizona vote tally.

Even though the students approved the fee, the Arizona Board of Regents will decide its ultimate fate most likely at the February board meeting, said Juliette Moore, director of the Student Recreation Center.

"In most cases they will support what the students want, but there are no guarantees," Moore said.

The proposed expansion will tentatively cost $24 million, Moore said, doubling the weight room area to 30,000-square-feet and funding other additions like a leisure pool and climbing wall.

If all goes as planned, the expansion will be completed in 2009, even though the bonds for the existing Rec Center will not be paid off until 2011, Moore said.

"Students made a decision for the future Wildcats who will be coming to the University of Arizona," Moore said.

After the existing bonds are paid off in 2011, students will continue shelling out $25-per-semester until 2041, Moore said.

Moore said she was glad a significant portion of students voiced their opinions on the fee because student representation is the most important part of the process.

"I think it's excellent that so many students voted for a case they really care about," Moore said. "It's a great turnout and a good sampling of the student body."

Andrew Friedman, an engineering sophomore who voted yes, said he was glad the fee was approved because it was a reasonable cost considering the benefits.

"I think even though it is a significant amount of money, it's important to attract students to our school," Friedman said. "And I think it makes sense because is it just (enough) to be helpful for the Rec Center but not be too painful for students."

Chris Allison, a political science sophomore, said he has to pay the fee regardless, but he voted against it because the Rec Center facility could be used more efficiently without charging students more.

"If it didn't pass, they had a contingency plan, so I wanted to see all options before voting on the most expensive one," Allison said. "Plus I don't think the expansion is necessary."

The current plan is scaled down from the proposal last spring, when the expansion would have cost $35 million and students would have paid $42-per-semester. But plans for renovation and additional space were taken out to compensate for the reduced cost, Moore said.

Moore said the project changed because students responded negatively to the idea of a steep fee on top of rising tuition and college fees.