Students sticking with their New Year’s fitness resolutions were met by a pleasant surprise at the beginning of the semester – the men and women’s locker rooms at the University Student Recreational Complex were recently completely renovated. Melissa Longino, associate director of recreational services, said the construction on the UREC was needed to repair damage caused by Hurricane Gustav in 2008. The first half of the construction project was the UREC gymnasium, Longino said. The gym was closed following Hurricane Gustav in September 2008 and did not reopen until November 2009. ‘Because this was an insurance claim, everything had to be returned to the exact state it was in,’ Longino said. All construction on the gymnasium was covered by insurance, Longino said. The roof, floor and equipment were all replaced, as well as the indoor track hanging above the basketball courts. The second half of the’ project included repairs to the men and women’s locker rooms and saunas. The lockers rusted when the power in the UREC went out and there was no air circulating to counteract the humidity of the swimming pool, Longino said. Michael Giles, Jr., associate director of operations and project management, said Gustav caused $180,000 worth of damage to the locker rooms, which was covered by insurance. But officials at the UREC also spent an extra $65,000 on aesthetic improvements. The locker rooms received fresh paint, light fixtures and new partitions in the showers, Longino said. They were closed Nov. 19 and officially reopened on Jan. 2. Some students question the amount of time UREC officials took to get the gymnasium and locker rooms up and running after the hurricane. Longino said planning for construction began immediately following the storm. Insurance claims had to be filed, and the project had to be approved before any work could be done, she said. ‘The insurance process is not always the most expedient,’ she said. The UREC generates its own funds through student and membership fees and has not yet been affected by budget cuts. — Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]