With Phase II of the University Recreation Complex’s redesign plans set to begin today, students can expect more parking spots and tennis courts as soon as next semester.
The 120-day project costs approximately $3.1 million and is part of the UREC’s expansion initiative that totals approximately $84.75 million, according to Laurie Braden, director of University Recreation.
Phase II will introduce 363 new two-hour parking spaces for UREC use and nine tennis courts.
“When the student planning committee was involved in the decision making for what they wanted in this project, parking was one of the first two items students wanted,” Braden said.
The new parking spaces and tennis courts will be built on the UREC fields, which are typically used for intramural sports.
Braden said that while the construction of Phase II will affect the UREC’s field sports for the fall and part of the spring semester, the UREC’s sport program has made modifications for this academic year to allow for a full sport schedule.
More parking is a much-needed addition to the UREC, Braden said.
Phase II follows the opening of the new Challenge Course across from the UREC, which is the first completed segment in the redesign and expansion plans.
Although Phase II is beginning, Phase I is still underway to renovate the UREC’s multi-purpose fields at River Road. These fields will host eight multi-purpose fields and four softball fields built with a wagon wheel configuration when the project is complete.
Phase III, the final phase of the project, will include more additions to the UREC like a 38-foot climbing wall, an outdoor pool area including an LSU logo-shaped lazy river, an eight lane lap pool and five multi-purpose courts.
This phase will also expand the weight room space by 13,000 square feet, making it a total of 40,000 square feet.
The anticipated completion date for the project is set for the summer of 2016.
“Students will now be able to come to the rec center and park and work out, and not have crazy drive around type of scenarios.”