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The CU Rec Center. (CU Independent file/Lauren Walter)
A committee of students is seeking to bring change to the Rec Center with the proposal of a complete renovation and the addition of new facilities.
The passing of this referendum would add 60,000 to 70,000 square feet to the rec center, doubling cardio and weight room area, and increasing the size of the Rec Center by 30 percent, according to a CU news release.
Some of the areas of the Rec Center that require renovation include the roof, pool, ice rink and gym floor. In addition, you need to avoid humidity and moisture with proper roof ventilation, you may contact an expert commercial roofing contractor for this task.
According to the release, the passing of this bill also includes the construction of a state-of-the-art climbing and bouldering area, as well as an outdoor pool for students to enjoy.
John Meyer, an associate director at the Rec Center, said that if the referendum passes, construction begins immediately this summer, and will be completed by Fall 2013. The Rec Center would not be closed to students at all during this time period.
If the bill passes, renovation will begin with the new facilities, and then they will focus on repairing the older ones, Meyer said.
“Students will even have the opportunity to use some of the new parts even before [construction] is complete,” Meyer said.
However, in order for the referendum to pass, at least 25 percent of the student population must vote, and the majority of them must vote ‘yes,’ according to the release.
In the past, the most students who have ever voted in an election has been 24 percent.
According to a news release, last year 88 percent of full-time CU students engaged in Recreation Services programs.
Kristy Gustavson, CUSG’s spokesperson, said she thinks a lot of students could benefit from this renovation.
“The Rec Center is falling apart as it is,” Gustavson said, “It’s just not big enough for all of the students that use it.”
Gustavson also said that the improvements and new facilities would make the building much more welcoming.
“There is at least one renovation that would appeal to any single student,” Gustavson said.
Stacy Berlin, an 18-year-old majoring in psychology and communication, said she thinks the bill has a good chance of passing.
“A lot of people I know go to the Rec Center,” Berlin said. “Since it’s part of many students’ daily routine, they’re going to vote for it to be better.”
Berlin said that if the referendum doesn’t pass, it would most likely be because of the future student fee increase.
The student fee increase would go into effect after the renovations were completed in Fall 2013, and average $121-$125 per student, according to the release.
“I probably will vote ‘no’,” Berlin said. “I already pay a lot of money to go here, and I honestly think the Rec Center is fine how it is.”
Meyer said the Rec Center falls short on national averages for a university of CU’s size.
“The average university our size has 12 basketball courts,” Meyer said. “We only have three.”
Eddie Crawford, and 18-year old aerospace engineering major, said he agrees that there are facilities in the Rec Center that need to be renovated.
“I would probably vote ‘yes’,” Crawford said. “CU has a lot of money though, and I think they would find a way to fix it regardless of this passing or not.”
Meyer said that if the bill does not pass, it would be difficult for the Rec Center staff to continue to provide the same services they have in the past.
“We’ve been putting Band-Aids on it for a while, and there are a lot of things that need to be redone,” Meyer said.
The Rec Center has recently made budget cuts to various programs in order to increase efficiency and lower student fees.
Bruce Deakyne, chairman of the CUSG Rec Board, said that one area that will be cut is the childcare program.
Other changes include closing at 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and a skate rental fee increase.
In total, these adjustments will cut Rec Center costs by 3.1 percent or $154,000 dollars.
“We looked at what was core to our mission and what had the least impact on students,” Deakyne said.
Voting for the referendum will begin at midnight on Monday Apr. 4 and will go until 8 p.m. on Friday Apr. 8. It will be available for students at the Rec Center and UMC, or online on My CU Info accounts, according to the release.
CU Recreational Services Director Cheryl Kent said in a news release that this renovation is important for the building to meet the needs of today’s student enrollment numbers.
“It is very important for students to not only exercise their voice through the student elections, but it is also important for students to consider that previous generations of students took it among themselves to create the Rec Center that we have now,” Kent said. “Students have the chance to leave their legacy for the future in the April vote.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Kelsey Krebsbach at Kelsey.krebsbach@colorado.edu
