Climbing wall

Weight room

The United States Military Academy unveiled its new $97 million physical education center yesterday that will give the cadets a state-of-the-art gym complex that has been long since in the making.

The new Arvin Physical Development Center is almost 500,000 square feet on six floors with several weight training and cardiovascular training rooms, two new pools, two boxing rooms, various medical facilities, and six racquetball courts. The Phys Ed building also has a 48 foot high climbing wall, courtesy of the Class of 1979.

Physical development has long been an integral part of the cadet experience, but Department of Physical Education Director Colonel Gregory Daniels says that it also helps build the cadets’ social structure.

“Arvin Cadet Physical Development Center is going to enable us, from a social development standpoint with cadets, will enable us to encourage cadets to participate in risky type things that are safe and structured and channeled and also improve their fitness at the same time,” he said.