Breaking New Ground in Collegiate Health
Nov 9, 2018
On a cool breezy afternoon two weeks before Christmas, a crowd gathered around a tent in an otherwise empty field of grass on the east side of Xavier's campus. Under the tent, a mound of dirt stretched in a line before several people-and one famous Musketeer-who, shiny shovels in hand, stabbed their blades into the soft dirt to generous applause from those nearby.
Among the shovelers was Xavier University President Michael Graham, S.J., who just moments before had outlined the importance of the new building soon to rise out of the grass over the coming year.
"We believe this building will play a critical role in shaping our students-who they become and how they live in the future," Graham said. "We know that today's students want balanced and healthy lifestyles. This building is designed to meet the physical, mental and wellness needs of all students and the fast-changing, academic needs of our health sciences students. Partnering with TriHealth, we know we can meet and exceed these goals."
[[pullquote]]We believe this building will play a critical role in shaping our students-who they become and how they live in the future.[[/pullquote]]
Next to Graham stood Mark C. Clement, President and CEO of TriHealth, which is teaming up with Xavier to build what is now being called the Health United Building, or HUB for short. The $54 million multipurpose facility will create a unique combination of recreation, health and academics in one space that will be a national model of collegiate health at Xavier.
As such, it is the most visible piece of the University's $250 million fundraising campaign: Together. For Others. The Campaign for Xavier University.
"This affiliation is so uniquely focused, like no other in the country, on caring for the whole person-mind, body and spirit," Clement said. "Whether it starts in the classroom, leads to a great performance on the court, drives healthier behaviors or increases positive connections in the community, this affiliation will touch lives and transform people, not only on campus, but throughout the region and nation."
The Dec. 11 groundbreaking kicked off construction of the four-level, 160,300 square-foot facility. Its goals are ambitious: To improve the quality of life for all in the Cincinnati community.
To that end, the HUB will include classrooms for health-related academic programs, a new state-of-the-art fitness and recreation center, and a holistic health and wellness center to provide expert care for students.
Its primary features include:
• A fitness and recreation center with a 4-lane pool, three fitness studios, three basketball courts, a 2-level fitness area and a cafe.
• A health and counseling center that includes exam rooms, counseling offices, a pharmacy and wellness coordinator rooms.
• The Health Sciences Academic Building consisting of 11 classrooms, five nursing simulator labs, three nursing skills labs, three occupational therapy labs and two sport studies labs.
Xavier and TriHealth are working with Messer Construction and MSA Architects to design and build the HUB, which is being built to meet LEED Gold standards. In keeping with Xavier's Jesuit values, its construction will offer opportunities for minority and women-led businesses and is expected to exceed ADA requirements to make it even more welcoming for all.
It is expected to open in August 2019 in time for the fall semester.
"We got here with a lot of input from Xavier faculty, staff and students as well as health-care experts at TriHealth," Graham said. "I want to thank all of them as we move forward toward making the HUB a national model for collegiate health."
Learn more about how to support construction of the HUB as part of Together. For Others. The Campaign for Xavier University.
Feature image: Father Graham, far left, turns the first shovel of dirt for the HUB along with Mark Clement of TriHealth, sophomore Layne Downey, majoring in exercise science, Barbara Howard, chair of the Xavier Board of Trustees, and D'Artagnan.