While people at the University hope the Rec renovations will attract students, some current students said they are inconvenienced.

Sophomore Devin Daugherty said he is not a “big fan” of the construction because it is an inconvenience when trying to play a pick-up game of basketball.

“The only reason I go there is to play basketball,” Daugherty said. “That’s how I met a bunch of people that I’m friends with this year, we got a bond with some people and now we can’t go there and do that cause nobody wants to go there anymore. It’s ridiculous.”

However, Rec Center Assistant Director Dave Hollinger said this is an exciting time for the University.

“I think its an exciting time to be part of BGSU with the other facility improvements around campus, not just the Rec Center and I think this will be a great tool to recruit and retain students at BGSU,” he said.

He also said the wait for the new Rec will be beneficial for the University.

“The way I look at it is, hopefully, a short term inconvenience for a long term gain,” Hollinger said.

Sophomore Angela Gurchak thinks the renovation was an inconvenience and that she was reluctant to go at first.

“I thought it was going to be sectioned off,” Gurchak said. “I didn’t think it was going to be everything thrown into one little area.”

Hollinger said he hasn’t heard negative comments, other than confusion.

“Initially, when someone came their first time they were a little confused on how to enter the building, but I think once they came that first time and got used to the new layout and new entry plan. I think overall we haven’t heard many negative comments,” he said.

Freshman Andy Dougherty is curious to how the construction affected the layout of the Rec and it did not stop him from going.

“I’m kind of impressed that they did actually have enough space and that everybody still goes and everything, but I’m definitely looking forward to them getting new equipment and having more space, with the whole thing open,” Dougherty said.

All of the weight and cardio equipment in the old building has been maintained on the Rec Center basketball courts, with only eight cardio machines being moved to the Perry Field House, Hollinger said.

With two courts being used for cardio and weights, the other two courts are used for basketball and group exercise classes.

“We try to keep one court open for most of the day, but there are times when the court is not available, but between the Rec Center and the Perry Field House, we’ve tried to maintain basketball,” Hollinger said.

He said members of the rec are also members of the Perry Field House and are able to use both facilities.

Because so many people are taking advantage of both facilities, he said if the entry numbers were combined, they would be on par, possibly higher, than previous years.

“We’ve been very busy, he said. “We have occupancy limits because of the renovation, so we can’t even allow in as many people as we could before. We haven’t had to turn anyone away yet, which is good.”

Dougherty said even though he is just working out, he still expects the Rec to look nice, after the renovation.

Daugherty said he is more concerned with the expected finish date of the renovation.

“I’m impartial,” Daugherty said. “I just wish it would be done sooner than planned. I think it would bring people on campus a little bit more.”

Hollinger said the Rec Center is expected to be finished in August 2014 and the public can go to the Rec’s website to find updated finishing dates.