Wednesday, July 25, 2007
A $6.3 million addition to the north end of the Student Recreation and Fitness Center will not be completed during the spring semester as originally planned.
Instead, the addition to the nearly four-year-old center won’t be complete until at least late May 2008, after the semester is completed.
Mary Chappell, director of recreation services, said that spring and summer rains, coupled with rising lumber costs related to Hurricane Katrina, have contributed to the delay.
The bid for lumber costs was placed before the hurricane struck.
She said the center hoped to have the entire infrastructure in place by the end of summer.
“We’re pulling all the pipes and wiring,” Chappell said. “We’re going to have to close some of the track area in certain places.”
The addition includes four new multi-purpose courts, an expansion of the 2,000 square-foot free-weight area and two additional racquetball courts.
The track will be temporarily closed as it is expanded to stretch nearly a full quarter-mile around all four courts. Along with the track, the fitness area used for aerobics, yoga and martial arts will also be closed once the structural part of the new addition begins.
Chappell said she hoped to only close these areas during holidays, when the recreation center would not be as busy. She admitted that probably wouldn’t be the only time areas on the north end would have to be closed but said she hoped to keep the closures to a minimum.
While the recreation center won’t be completed on time, it will bring more to students than just extra space and equipment.
Jason Krone, director of sports programs, said that two of the new multi-purpose courts will be made of a synthetic, plastic material. That means the courts can serve more than just basketball or volleyball.
“Certainly the courts will be used for basketball but a sport like indoor soccer is an underserved population,” he said. “Enclosed walls around the field allow us to look at expanding floor hockey and adding indoor soccer and possibly roller hockey.”
During the spring semester, Krone said that 80 teams played eight-on-eight outdoor soccer. He said he hoped the new addition would allow scheduling for six-on-six indoor soccer during the the winter when the players want to keep playing.
One student who said he would jump at the opportunity to play more soccer is Dane Hanson, Overland Park graduate student. He is part of a soccer group that meets every Sunday. He said he traveled to Kansas City at least once a week last year to play in an indoor soccer league when it got too cold to play outdoors.
“I didn’t even know they planned to put in a surface that soccer could be played on,” Hanson said. “ I think it’s easier to injure yourself in indoor soccer but I’d definitely be interested in playing.”
Chappell said the addition would accomplish the center’s goal of cutting down on the wait time. She said it was not uncommon to have every basketball court filled and teams lined up waiting to get into games.
“We’re excited there will be more space for more people and more activities,” she said.
— Edited by Joe Caponio
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