The architect for the upcoming UREC expansion (set for 2016 completion, I believe) has released some project details for the upcoming addition. Check out some of these renderings, I thought they might be interesting to share. These are the first details of the plan (that I've seen) to be made available to the public.

http://www.hastingschivetta.com/projects...-addition/

six more hoops courts! i love it

The new addition is going to be awesome. I need to go back and see if Bob Golson still works there. He was a great boss when I worked at UREC as a Intramural Site Manager and Rec Assistant.

I hope they have a bridge over the current walking path between urec and the fields behind it. I see the new path behind the extension, but a path in the middle would be nice.
I often walk back there to get between isat and the convo.

My understanding was that the New Convo was going to be built up near the Softball field and that the old Convo would be conveyed to UREC facilities group. Therefore, i'm not sure I understand the need for the expansion area to have to so many more bball courts?

Golson is still there.

I know these are just preliminary drawings but a couple questions ...

1) I know when I was there and at UREC regularly (2005-2010) the basketball courts were always loaded and there were always long lines to access the cardio equipment. This addition (granted we are just seeing the sketch) appears to add cardio equipment, basketball courts and another track around the top floor. Will there now be two tracks at UREC? that seems a little repetitive. Also, any idea if they'll add additional weight equipment? It seemed to always be packed ... I could see the need to expand what they have there too. Do all the cardio machines move to the new wing and the old space gets additional weights?

I understand they are nearly doubling the existing space ... just seems like most if not all of that space is going to be dedicated to more basketball and cardio equipment ...

*EDIT*
Actually, if you look at the size of the wing that looks to be dedicated to exercise equipment ... it appears to be larger than the size of the Pool on the current structure ... that would be plenty of space (especially if it's multi-storied) to add a lot of equipment.

(10-10-2013 11:39 AM)2Dukes4Life Wrote:  My understanding was that the New Convo was going to be built up near the Softball field and that the old Convo would be conveyed to UREC facilities group. Therefore, i'm not sure I understand the need for the expansion area to have to so many more bball courts?

Exactly. I think we should think about an indoor tennis facility.

(10-10-2013 11:39 AM)2Dukes4Life Wrote:  My understanding was that the New Convo was going to be built up near the Softball field and that the old Convo would be conveyed to UREC facilities group. Therefore, i'm not sure I understand the need for the expansion area to have to so many more bball courts?

According to the Carr Report, it was recommended that the old convo be turned into a field house - aka an indoor practice facility for JMU FB.

The "old" exercise equipment area in UREC is downright palatial compared to that little room in Godwin back in the 80s.

Please make the locker rooms bigger!

(10-10-2013 11:39 AM)2Dukes4Life Wrote:  My understanding was that the New Convo was going to be built up near the Softball field and that the old Convo would be conveyed to UREC facilities group. Therefore, i'm not sure I understand the need for the expansion area to have to so many more bball courts?

I believe the old softball site is still the preferred (and planned) location for the new Convo...debate about the re-use of the old Convo is still up for discussion. Converting it to a field house may prove too expensive...it would be cheaper to build something new, and as suggested, hand the old Convo over to UREC.

Around 10 years ago they converted racquetball court #8 into what I recall was a wellness/nutrition office. Okay, so maybe 8 courts was too many in the first place, but I can imagine the looks on the employees' faces: "We're relocating your office! ...In this enclosed carpeted sweat box." Is that court still an office?

Since the expansion will have a "wellness suite", that may finally move them out of there.

UREC expansion will triple the size of the existing floor space. it's a tremendous expansion. Last I heard the "lower turf" field will be removed, excavated down 10 feet or so, and joined on the 2nd floor of existing UREC, and will build up 3 more stores and let up level with the upper turf. still plenty of room for a new convo.

it's a huge huge project, and starts in the spring.

also plans for a separate indoor tennis facility south of UREC. That'll be a separate athletics project.

Oh my..that's depressing...that was under construction when I graduated...and now it's expanding already?

(10-11-2013 06:15 AM)Dukie95 Wrote:  Oh my..that's depressing...that was under construction when I graduated...and now it's expanding already?

"Already"? Sorry to break it to you, when the expanded UREC is completed, 20 years will have passed since the original opened.

For comparison purposes, JMU enrollment stood at about 11.5k when construction on the UREC began, and this Fall JMU's official enrollment was 20,020 (or 20,200...depends on who you ask).

(10-11-2013 11:10 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(10-11-2013 06:15 AM)Dukie95 Wrote:  Oh my..that's depressing...that was under construction when I graduated...and now it's expanding already?

"Already"? Sorry to break it to you, when the expanded UREC is completed, 20 years will have passed since the original opened.

Longhorn, not helping.