For the past 10 years, Ole Miss officials have been planning and developing another option for students, faculty and community members to turn to for physical fitness.

On Wednesday, that plan came together, with the South Campus Recreation Center (SCRC) holding its grand opening ceremony.

The building that housed the former Whirlpool factory has been transformed into a state-of-the-art recreation center, which opened on Aug. 26, the first day of fall semester.

“The South Campus Recreation Center will be a home to students looking to get involved. It will be a home for those looking to find a connection with others through a natural need for recreation. It will be a home for those who want to be physically well and a home for those students seeking balance with alcohol or addressing mind-body issues,” said Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for student affairs, during the ceremony.

The new facility features nearly 100,000 square feet of workout space, including an indoor training zone and an indoor climbing wall. The center also has an indoor basketball court and soccer fields on its first floor. The second floor serves as a way to get around the center to each activity space without interfering with others who are using equipment on the first floor.

There is also 25,000 square feet of fitness space, fitness studios and a walking-running track located on the second floor. Additional amenities are planned to be installed at the center in the coming months.

“Our institutional mission is to transform lives, communities and the world by providing an opportunity to the people of Mississippi and beyond through learning, discovering and engaging,” said Peter Tulchinsky, director of campus recreation. “I can’t think of a place on our campus that better embodies the idea of transformation than this facility.”

The center is also the home of the William Magee Wellness Center, named in honor of Ole Miss graduate William Magee, who died of an accidental overdose after his graduation. The Magee Center will open Sept. 6 and hold its grand opening ceremony on the same day, from 4 to 6 p.m. The center is near the main entrance of the South Campus Recreation Center and will feature a variety of services to promote student wellness.

Ole Miss’s hub for Oxford University Transit will also have offices at the SCRC.

Rates to become a member at the facility will remain the same as the Turner Center, and a membership will be valid at both locations. To see the rates and sign up for a membership, visit campusrec.olemiss.edu/membership-opportunities/.