Daemen College in Amherst is celebrating the expansion of its campus with a brand new Academic and Wellness Center.
The college spent $5.6 million to refurbished the former YMCA building on Main Street across from the campus. Daemen President Gary Olson calls it a 'historic day' for the college.
"Daemen has now extended its footprint, if you well, across Main Street. We have now a first rate, modern, spacious facility that will serve our students and also the community. We have worked very hard to increase our relationships with the community and this is one way to do it," stated Olson.
The college transformed the building into a place for student learning and a place where students and residents can get fit. It's a mixed use academic and wellness center.
Inside Daemen's new fitness center in the former YMCA building on Main Street in Amherst.
Credit WBFO News photo by Eileen Buckley
"There's a state-of-the-art fitness room with all kinds of equipment," noted Olson. "This will be a wellness center that a limited number of nearby community members can use, our faculty can use, our students can use."
The fitness room was built over the former YMCA swimming pool
The center also feature learning labs to train students for physical therapy, athletic training and health care studies programs.
Daemen Director of Athletics Bridget Niland said this project allow the college to grow in Amherst.
"So it truly marks another part of what Daemen is becoming and that is truly Amherst's college," said Niland. "We want to be looked at by the town of Amherst and the residing communities as part of this community, not just for health sciences, not just for academics, but a place they feel welcome."
