LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) - A Laramie construction firm has been selected to renovate and expand the University of Wyoming's Half Acre Gym into a modern student recreation and wellness center.

The UW Board of Trustees voted last week to contract with Groathouse Construction for the $27 million project.

Half Acre Gym dates back to the 1920s. It will be renamed the Half Acre Recreation and Wellness Center.

The project is scheduled to begin in spring 2013 and be completed in fall 2014.

Among the planned improvements are academic spaces; an updated theater and dance studio; four new racquetball courts with glass back walls for observation and instruction; expanded Outdoor Program space with a 35-foot-tall pinnacle wall; expanded cardiovascular exercise and weight training areas; new locker rooms; and a new multi-activity court gymnasium.

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