UHV Health & Wellness Center to be completed next year
With a house in Port Lavaca a little outside of the city limits, Brock Billings, a UHV political science freshman, would go for the occasional run up and down the road to keep himself in shape.
Starting next year, Billings will have the ability to stick to his fitness goals, all without having to leave campus. The University of Houston-Victoria’s Health & Wellness Center has set a completion date of spring 2025, bringing a fully fleshed out recreational center to campus.
As a commuter student, Billings comes to campus two days a week. During the week, Billings said he dedicates four to five days a week to keeping up with his fitness goals. For his personal work out program, Billings said he aims to work out every evening by lifting weights at his house while incorporating cardiovascular exercise.
One of the things that he is most excited about in the upcoming center is the assortment of different weights machines for him to cycle through, Billings said. In addition to the center’s amenities, having the Health & Wellness Center on campus would give him something to do while he waits for his next class to start, he said.
“Having an indoor track, all the weights and the different machines, that will be pretty awesome to have here,” Billings said.
The Health & Wellness Center will encompass more than 39,000 square feet and will include a walk-in clinic, said Matt Alexander, UHV director of capital projects and construction. Made possible through a partnership with DeTar Healthcare System, the 5,500 square-foot clinic will serve to provide affordable care for students who are experiencing minor medical conditions. In addition, the Health & Wellness Center will have two levels with multiple spaces for students to work out and do recreational activities.
“We’re hoping this will be a gateway to our campus. It will be the first building people see as they come off Rio Grande onto Ben Wilson Street,” Alexander said. “It will improve our campus life and give our students a better experience while they’re here.”
The center will be located on the southeast corner of Red River and Ben Wilson streets and will have two levels. On the first floor, students can enjoy multiple group fitness spaces, along with two courts that can be used for various sporting activities, along with a strength training area complete with free weights.
The second floor will include a padded indoor track, group fitness rooms and a cardio fitness area. SmithGroup architecture company and Bartlett Cocke General Contractors are the organizations responsible for the design and construction of the project.
The total cost of the project stands at $29,274,000, with roughly half of the cost paid for with student fees, Alexander said. The other half of the cost will be paid for by state bond proceeds, along with a $2 million donor gift from the M.G. & Lillie A. Johnson Foundation. The university will also charge the DeTar Healthcare System health clinic $3 million over a 15-year period, Alexander said.
The center will be available for all UHV students. Faculty and staff members will have the option to pay a small fee to use the center; the amount has not been finalized.
As a student-athlete, Justin Mireles knows what it means to be in top physical condition.
Mireles is a senior majoring in communication and a right-handed pitcher on the UHV baseball team. Between the team’s scheduled practices during the season, Mireles said he also makes it a priority to have his own personal workout sessions and said he would drive to different gyms and locations across town depending on what he wants to accomplish that day.
“I think it’s awesome. It’s going to be a great opportunity not only for the student-athletes, but for the students as well,” Mireles said. “Adding on to the campus is going to create extra attractiveness for students who are looking at different schools, and having something like the Health & Wellness Center is important because plenty of students around my age are into fitness.”
For students who are new to fitness, having the Health & Wellness Center on campus grounds will also serve as a motivator for those who are thinking about kickstarting their fitness goals, Mireles said. Having a health clinic inside of the center is also a bonus for students who are going through health-related issues and don’t have the means to travel far to relieve their ailments, he added.
“Having the center on campus will serve as another pro to draw students and their parents who are looking into coming to UHV,” Mireles said.
During the offseason, Mireles said he dedicates five days a week to working out. His typical week involves doing a full chest strength training regimen along with alternating between arms, back and legs, he said.
“I also do cardio, and something I’ve added is a stretch and mobility day because as a student-athlete, it’s important to keep your body mobile and as fluid as possible,” Mireles said.
Arianna Rios, a UHV kinesiology senior, said she also makes it a priority to stay in shape. Rios said she aims to work out during the week, averaging four to five sessions weekly. Rios said she likes to incorporate a mix of cardio and strength training and would usually drive to the Citizens HealthPlex or the local YMCA.
“The Health & Wellness Center looks really nice; I wish I could stay at UHV for longer,” Rios said. “Having this on campus would be beneficial for everyone.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.