From heated debates to renovation projects, the University Student Recreation Complex received campus-wide attention this semester.
The building underwent improvements during the course of the semester, and projects to enhance the facility have not ended.
According to Brad Wilson, UREC associate director of Operations and Project Management, the UREC will replace its existing strength and training equipment with 90 new pieces. The carpeting will be replaced to match the existing floor in the cardio and weight room as well.
Wilson said the project will begin Dec. 16 and conclude Jan. 13.
Wilson said he hopes the much-needed update will “give excitement and a new vibe to the space.”
At the beginning of the semester students witnessed renovations to the interior and exterior of the UREC as well as: a new front desk, eco-friendly water fountains and a redesign of the pool deck.
Wilson said Aug. 26 he hopes the improvements and changes will encourage students to continually visit the facility.
“It is a small step in getting us to where we want to be,” Wilson said. “We want to be the type of place LSU needs.”
Through meetings between UREC officials and Student Government, students learned of the proposed expansion of UREC facilities.
UREC director Laurie Braden said Nov. 8 the expansion would raise student’s fees $45 each semester for three years, capping the fee at $200 per semester.
The current UREC Student Recreational Complex provides 4 square feet per student, while the national average for recreational centers is 9 square feet per student.
Students were polled on the proposed expansion.
Of the 4,260 students that voted, “92 percent of the students agree that making LSU better for the future by improving recreation, fitness and wellness facilities is important to current and future students,” and 76 percent supported a raise in fees to support the project, Braden said in an e-mail to SG president Cody Wells and SG Senate Speaker Aaron Caffarel.
The SG Senate passed a resolution Nov. 16 in a 37-5-1 vote imploring the Chancellor to increase student fees to allow for the expansion project.
“LSU can be better,” Wilson said. “LSU should be better.”
 
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Contact Claire Caillier at [email protected]