Rec Sports center 100 percent open this semester
Looks can deceive, according to an old saying. The adage seems to be true in the case of the Recreational Sports Center -- people are seeing indications of construction and mistakenly thinking it is not open. In fact, the RSC is 100 percent open through all of fall semester.
Even when full-scale work on expansion and renovation starts during winter break, to continue through summer 2012, nearly all of the equipment and programs offered by the Division of Recreational Sports will be available on campus.
"Year-round opportunities for recreation and fitness will continue," says Howard Taylor, DRS director. "Our staff and student advisory team have created a great transition plan for the construction period. Everyone can get their reps!
"And I cannot emphasize too much that this semester, everything at the center is open. Some preparatory steps for the construction were handled in the summer because they were disruptive, but those are done. We've also added parking."
The new parking is by the Lambert Field, the baseball facility. The walk to the RSC door is still less than going to most classes. Part of the lot right behind RSC is closed while construction crews build a new exterior entrance to the East/West Gyms. Those gyms will remain open nearly every day through the fall semester. A new temporary lot is being constructed to the west of the new T-REC building (next to the sand volleyball courts) and these will be open in January.
The Boilermaker Aquatic Center also will remain open even after the construction picks up this winter. Access will be at the AQUA main (north) entrance. Day lockers are available; users will need to bring, buy or rent a lock.
Come January, most other RSC features, notably weights, stationary bicycles and other cardio equipment, will be distributed and ready in available spaces on campus, in the T-REC and selected residence halls. Learn to Play and Group X classes will move and continue on during the project. (See www.purdue.edu/recsports for exact locations.) The only parts of the RSC's offerings that could not be accommodated for January 2011 to August 2012 are racquetball/squash courts and indoor soccer and inline hockey, which require unique space.
Locations and hours for the transition plan are posted at www.purdue.edu/recsports along with thorough descriptions and many images related to the expansion and renovation. There is also a guide to the parking area and the building, a project timeline, a virtual tour and even a look at counterpart facilities around the country. The transformed building, to be called the Purdue Student Fitness and Wellness Center, will open at the beginning of fall semester 2012. Some finishing tasks will remain and will be completed by October 2012.
"Continuity has been a major element of our planning from the beginning," Taylor says. "We know that people don't want to lose their fun, their outlet and their fitness edge. What we have is a comprehensive and functional transition plan on our way to a great facility that will redefine how Purdue thinks of wellness, fitness and recreation."
