The renovation of Cooper Pool in the Student Recreation Center is near completion, and may open as soon as next week.
The pool, where the BG varsity swimming and diving teams compete, underwent a face lift this summer that included aesthetic improvements such as a new floor-to-ceiling coat of white paint, and structural changes like new tile floors on the pool deck and new filter pumps.
In addition, windows were placed in the room and in the SRC’s basketball courts, and new weight equipment was purchased for the second-floor workout area. Air conditioning was installed throughout the facility.
“Bowling Green had the first, if not one of the first, purely student recreation centers when it opened in 1979,” said Larry Spencer, associate director of recreation sports. “It hasn’t had any big-time stuff done, so it was in need of a face lift.”
Spencer said one of the most overlooked aspects of the renovation is how many things got done in a relatively short period of time. The installation of the new filter pumps and the air conditioning was started in mid to late June. The pumps are nearly eight feet tall, and the air conditioning required a new room to be built alongside the SRC.
“A tremendous amount of work went into this in a short period of time,” he said. “We want to let the University see what we are doing to stay current.”
Cooper Pool is Olympic regulation 50 meters long and 25 yards wide. It is equipped with 1- and 3-meter diving springboards and 5- and 7 1/2 meter diving platforms. Spectator bleachers are located on an upper deck along the pool’s north side. Behind the bleachers is a game room, the planned area as of now for a climbing wall to be installed at some point. Spencer said the SRC is not yet sure of the wall”s specifications or when it will be built.
Spencer said the SRC would also like to renovate the entrance area of the facility in the future to provide more of a “welcome area” for students.
“One of the things we are hoping for in the future is to have a celebration right at the start of the school year to introduce students to the changes we have made right off the bat,” he said.
