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Anticipation mounts as SRC opening nears |
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Thursday, 13 April 2006 |
by MALLORI MORRIS
News Reporter
Get ready to lace up those tennis shoes and grab a water bottle. Months
of anticipation for the Student Recreation Center’s opening will end
when its doors open at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Contractors were given the OK to open the 120,000 square feet facility
April 6, with only a minor “punch list” of items still left to be
completed over the next 30 days, said Dr. Clyde D. Robbins, director of
Design and Construction.
Paint touch-ups, carpet cleaning and mechanical tune-ups are among tasks left to complete.
“I think it’s a great building,” Robbins said. “It’s well built and
students are really going to like and be able to use what’s on the
inside.”
The facility houses a 50-feet climbing wall, cardio theatre, a weight
room area, an indoor running/walking track, a 50-meter swimming pool
and University Recreation offices.
Another four to six weeks are needed to complete the juice bar, Robbins said.
Because Appalachian did not receive the Certificate of Occupancy until
late last week, cardio equipment and weights are still on order and SRC
directors are unsure whether the equipment will arrive in time.
“We can’t order stuff until we have somewhere to deliver it to,” said Karen D. Walter, a SRC coordinator.
Walter said the new SRC does have some weight lifting equipment in the
building but is not fully stocked yet. Cardio equipment and machines
are still en-route to the facility as of this week.
Students hired to work at the new SRC have been training this week.
Over 200 new student employees will work at the SRC, University
Recreation Director Joe R. Carter said.
Carter said recreation staff worked with student employees during the
construction process outside the facility to make it easier on opening
day.
“With a building this size there are a lot of things that need to be done … it’s actually opening early,” he said.
Carter explained contractors had a Feb. 28 guaranteed completion date
with a 30-day extension for additional construction. This would put
opening at April 30, but the facility will now open 12 days early.
“Students [need to] be patient, just because there are signs up that
say we’re open Tuesday, that doesn’t mean we’re open yet,” Carter said.
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