Last March, construction began on a new multimillion dollar athletic facility named the Alan and Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance. It promises to be a “state-of-the-art” facility for all students, not just varsity athletes.
Despite the current challenges posed to students and athletes by the construction, the facility will be a great addition to the University.
While this situation is understandably frustrating for some, students should take into account that this new construction will be a drastic improvement for the University’s campus. Currently, there are only two buildings on campus — Bender Arena and Cassell Hall — that have athletic performance areas, neither of which are ideal for a large number of students to use at once.
The Meltzer Center, along with its athletic functions, may prove to be useful in the University’s attempts to gain more prospective students and improve its athletic standing.
From the Newsstands: This story appeared in The Eagle's April 2025 print edition. You can find the digital version here.
One specific downside of the Center is the loss of club tennis and tennis classes, but players who participated in those should look at the situation from the University’s perspective. The school is trying to attract students and upgrade its facilities to improve the experience of current students on a long-term scale, which I see as a positive.
The Center is set to be completed during the spring 2026 semester, which would mean only two years of construction. It would be remarkable for such a facility to be completed in that time, and students should be excited for its opening.
As somebody who often uses the Jacobs Fitness Center, it is frustrating when you walk in and somebody is using the machine you want to use for a long time. The Meltzer Center will be extremely beneficial for accommodating a large student population.
One program that will benefit significantly from the Meltzer Center is wrestling. This season, the team had multiple national top-50-ranking wrestlers. This figure, signaling the team’s rise in competitiveness, will certainly grow when its players have an upgraded area dedicated to wrestling in the Center. Their relocation to the Meltzer Center will also free up space in Jacobs for other students.
More reasons to appreciate the Center include the renovated track and soccer field that will be located next to the Meltzer Center. The soccer teams will be able to compete at home again once their field is upgraded. This will bring back more opportunities for school spirit, as students will now have more opportunities to support University sports on campus.
The Meltzer Center should not be disregarded and should instead be appreciated for the many benefits it will bring. The current drawbacks will be significantly outdone by all the future benefits.
This article was edited by Jack Stashower, Penelope Jennings and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Olivia Citarella, Emma Brown, Ella Rousseau, Jaden Anderson, Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Hannah Langenfeld and Nicole Kariuki.
