After nearly five years of construction, the new Student Recreation Center is opening its doors for the CSUN community to use today at 2 p.m.

“I think it’s just incredible to see an idea that students had and then actually voted on and said that they wanted to support, and for us to work on it, and it’s coming to fruition,” said Debra Hammond, executive director of the University Student Union (USU). “A lot of times, you have an idea and you don’t actually get to see the whole thing develop. So, I’m just more than excited about this.”

The center will host festivities today in celebration of the SRC, which will be free of charge to students.

An opening ceremony will be held at 10 a.m., featuring guest speakers and the ribbon cutting. Tours of the facility will take place between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Events for today include a laser show, Dream World Cirque performer, Ambient strollers, Capoeira martial arts performers and Taiko drummers. There will also be arcade games, free food, crafts, and go carts.

Funding for the opening ceremony came from student fees, and Shanell Tyus, events manager of the USU, said the total cost for today’s events came out to $35,000.

Students weren’t charged any additional fees to cover this cost, as the USU board of directors reallocate these fees to cover different costs annually, said Shannon Krajewski, USU associate director, marketing and programs.

“We really try to maximize the budget, and that’s what we always have to do when you’re being a good steward to students, and we always want to make sure we’re being good stewards,” Tyus said.

A group of 12 students were responsible for planning today’s festivities with the given budget.

The cost breakdown for the events is as follows: $3,000 for equipment rental and security; $6,000 for decorations, banners, and event supply rentals; $7,000 for entertainment; $10,000 for activities for the day, including go carts and games; $8,000 for food and beverages; and $1,000 for additional expenses.

A variety of food trucks will also be available, but students will have to pay for food from these vendors.

Kevin Lizarraga, marketing manager at the USU, said the total spent on building the SRC amounted to $62,354,790 million.

“(The rec center) a great piece of work,” said Joseph Cayanan, a student assistant who has helped conduct tours of the facility. “It’s a little costly, but I feel like it’s a good investment.”

In addition to the new center being available for use, it may add another dimension to student life.

“As a (CSUN) alumni, it’s exciting just (because of) the sense of pride that I think it’ll be bringing to the campus,” Tyus said.