McHenry County College is currently planning for a $26 million expansion to its Health, Wellness and Athletic Complex.

The new facility will allow for enhancements to the Health and Human Performance Department at MCC, including technology-enabled, learning-centered classrooms; the Institute for Health and Human Performance; a full-service teaching fitness center; group fitness facilities for dance, pilates, yoga, martial arts and more; several athletic courts for accredited individual and group sports classes; four basketball courts and locker rooms.

The project will be funded through debt certificates and the center is estimated to be completed in 2009, said Walt Packard, MCC president.

“We live in an area that’s growing consistently and we know our enrollment over the next five to ten years is going to increase,” Packard said. “We want to be ready to meet the challenge in advance, rather than be reactionary. More importantly, our programs in the areas of health, wellness and fitness are growing rapidly and the space we have available for those programs are quite limited.”

Currently, the facility has a general purpose room with one basketball court. In the winter, both baseball, basketball and softball are competing for space. Athletes utilize the facility from 6 a.m. until about 11 p.m., Packard said.

The new facility will allow MCC to meet a growing demand for programming in health, wellness and fitness and will improve the athletic facilities and athletic teams, he said.
The new expansion will also allow for 12 additional full-time and 100 part-time baseball employees, with a payroll estimated around $400,000, he said.

Denise Orozco, an MCC graduate and resident of Lake in the Hills said the expansion is a really good idea.

“It seemed like the athletes didn’t have a place to practice,” Orozco said. “I think it’s going to be really beneficial for them.”

Carol Larson, chair of the Facilities Committee, said the committee has been active in developing plans for facilities expansion during the past five years.

“I am proud of the work of this committee and excited by the promise offered through this expansion opportunity,” Larson said. “The Health, Wellness and Athletic Complex is among the first of several expansion projects anticipated in the years ahead.”

McHenry County College is located at 8900 US Hwy. 14 in Crystal Lake. For more information on the MCC Health, Wellness and Athletic Complex expansion, call MCC at (815) 455-3700, or visit www.mchenry.edu.