Over winter break, the UREC set the tone for renovations to come, progressing on expansion plans that had been unveiled last year.
Projects to be completed involve expanding the River Road sports fields to include four softball fields and eight multipurpose fields, adding more than 300 two-hour parking spaces and replacing tennis courts to the north end of the UREC and the 150,000 square foot expansion, according to UREC director Laurie Braden’s construction report.
Three projects should be completed this semester.
Weather permitting, the parking expansion and tennis court construction should be complete by the middle of this semester, according to Braden’s construction report.
Braden said she is excited for students to be able to access the new courts and the UREC with the additional two-hour parking.
The new sports fields will be ready for use in summer 2014, Braden said.
Students will be able to enjoy pieces of the project as the total construction progresses, and they will begin to see returns on their investments, she said.
Around spring break, the UREC larger-scale expansion will take place, and the total expansion will be completed in 2016.
The main UREC entrance will move to the south side of the building, and the climbing gym will be taken off temporarily. The change will start around spring break, Braden said in the construction report.
“Our students are going to have the most cutting edge college recreation facility in the country,” Braden said.
“Our students are going to have the most cutting edge college recreation facility in the country.”
Construction workers updating the UREC fields Thursday, Jan. 16, 2013.
