Students can expect the Student Recreation Center to be open this summer with a few minor changes before the bigger renovations begin at the end of August.
Steve Kampf, director of the Recreation and Wellness Center, said parts of the Rec will remain open this summer during the start of the renovation process. Starting Aug. 12, construction will begin in some parts of the Rec.
“There is going to be close to $650,000 in new equipment,” Kampf said. “We will have parts of the building open in August. Up until then, the entire building will be available.”
This summer, the track will remain open and the weight lifting equipment will be moved to two of the four basketball courts. Cooper Pool, the University’s Olympic sized pool, will be open throughout the renovation process.
Sophomore Jessica Bartels said she uses the Rec three times a week and has encountered problems such as faulty equipment. She said she can see how the available areas might cause an overcrowding problem in the summer.
“It needs to be modernized more and have new machines,” Bartels said.
Thad Long, associate director of the Recreational and Wellness facilities, said the Rec’s officials had a meeting last week with the project’s director, contractor and architect to plan the renovation process.
“The areas we have expected to have open will be the track, the four basketball courts, our Olympic sized pool and the office next to the pool,” Long said. “Over the course of the next few weeks we will determine what classes, such as exercise education and Zumba classes, will be open. We will be placing a large number of those pieces to be placed on the basketball court, such as weight and exercise equipment.”
During the upcoming fall semester, parts of the Rec will be closed and the majority of the facility will be closed during the spring semester, Kampf said. Sophomore Zachary Kocanda said he can see how the renovations could be an issue with athletes and their training, but doesn’t think the changes will effect him personally.
“I go there for racquetball or the track,” Kocanda said. “I don’t go there a lot to begin with, but I would be more inclined to check it out [after the renovations].”
Rec officials will begin to finalize the renovation schedule next week, but the process will be a few weeks in the making, Long said. Within the upcoming weeks, Rec officials will release more information about the renovations.
“The next few weeks are to going to be used to determine and meet the needs of as many people as possible,” Long said. “We will be meeting with our staff next week to see all of the available scenarios and options. We have to really go through all of the programming, staffing and ramifications about the place.”
