President's Report Masthead
June 30, 2012

Renovated East Gym opens

The Recreation Center at the East Gym reopened its doors Jan. 28, following an extensive 18-month renovation. Plans for the revitalization, in the works since 2005, called for a full-blown internal transformation to create an all-inclusive facility that provides improved quality of fitness and wellness services.

The FitSpace area, which sees the most foot traffic, was expanded from 4,000 to 10,000 square-feet, allowing for double the amount of cardio- and strength-training equipment. The Cardio Theater technology implemented in FitSpace encourages a high-energy workout environment, with each machine containing a personal screen. The Expresso bikes offer an interactive workout experience, allowing users to challenge their friends to a virtual race and to post their results to Internet outlets such as Twitter.

In addition to FitSpace, the project included three renovated multipurpose rooms for group fitness classes and club practices; two renovated classrooms; a new, dedicated wellness services suite; renovated and relocated locker rooms; a renovated Outdoor Pursuits rental center; improvements to the court area including a state-of-the-art gym floor, consolidated administrative offices and upgrades to central mechanical systems.

These renovations have increased the campus capacity to offer fitness and wellness services. There are now more than 100 group exercise classes offered every week, three times the amount provided in the past. The revamped and modernized pool and gymnasium are experiencing a significant increase in daily use, the locker rooms offer more individual storage lockers and cater to personal privacy, and with removal of the bleachers in the gym, there is more room to move around.

Check out the new space at the Rec Center at the East Gym in this video: