The frequently overcrowded and overbooked Kresge fitness center looks to undergo major renovations within the next five years, Athletics department officials said, but student leaders are seeking a temporary solution by the end of the term.
The Student Assembly's goal seems at odds with the recreation department, which hopes to conserve funds in order to allow for a larger expansion of the 4,000-square-foot fitness center in the future. According to Recreation Director Roger Demment, the renovation could be on track for as soon as next March, a statement the Assembly thinks is overly hopeful.
The largest roadblock to Kresge expansion used to be a matter of funding, but Demment said he now thinks the largest obstacle is holding off on minor improvements for something more significant.
"Now, because it seems as if we might be able to do something in the very near future, it doesn't make sense to spend money on Kresge now," Demment said.
The Athletics department's initial expansion plans involved bumping the existing glass walls out to an even level with the gym doors, adding what is now corridor space to Kresge to create more room for equipment.
This project would require funding from the administration as the Alumni gym departmental budget for Kresge is around $5,000 a year, spent primarily on maintenance, and a recent estimate put renovation costs at $150,000.
According to the Assembly, there is an urgent student demand for immediate Kresge expansion, with 2,000 students recently signing a petition to signify they want Kresge to be a priority, and a similarly high number of responses to the Assembly's Visions survey indicating that students want to see improvements to the gym.
"The re-location would be a big increase in space, and long term we do want to keep pushing for that change, but we need to couple it with changes in the current year and years to come so that students can see and feel the results," Assembly member Julia Hildreth '05 said.
The Assembly is looking into several alternatives to provide students with immediate change, regardless of what the College may be able to achieve in the future.
SA officials are looking to find an adequate space near the gym and expand the existing facility into that space. Currently, the Assembly is trying to acquire the Berry classroom, located directly beside Kresge. Hildreth said this would be the perfect solution in the case of short or long-term expansion.
But, using the Berry classroom requires an extensive approval process and the relocating activities from that room to another location. Demment said there would be no expansion into the Berry classroom, because it is the only classroom in the building and its function and location not easily replaceable.
The most likely solution may involve creating a satellite gym in a room located in the basement of Collis or in the East Wheelock cluster. A satellite gym could be the best solution for adding more machines, which would be purchased with the Assembly's funds. But, there would be no monitor or supervision involved with this plan, leaving free weights and other equipment requiring regulation unavailable in the new space.
"A re-make of a modern Kresge will have to be institutionally funded, but the SA has enough money to make an impact now. A temporary expansion or a satellite gym are not solutions, but they are steps towards improvement," Hildreth said.
Demment said he was still on the lookout to create or find a larger space for the new gym. However, more immediate plans call for a project that will dehumidify and remodel the Karl Michael pool.
The project, involves installing a comprehensive dehumidification system to take care of the pool area and cool air throughout the building, is slated to begin next March and must be completed before any construction on the gym could begin. Demment said the installation has the potential to be ready for next fall, but some estimated it might take up to three years to complete, leaving students without improvement to the gym until it is finished.
Although the Assembly is not involved with the dehumidification process, Hildreth said it is a perk that will potentially help the Kresge cause in the long run but will not deliver results until the distant future. She is also concerned that the College will lack funds to expand Kresge after allocating all its resources to remodeling the pool.
