Because I'm too lazy to look it up: what affect was this project going to have on the Gucciardi fitness facility? Was that getting improved in any way? Or was it getting phased out as part of the Patrick repurposing? Or neither?
My point: possible that the Gutterson reno also includes some upgrades to that, considering they are attached (and renovation was going to occur on that side of the rink as well)?
Yes, because eventually as I understand it they're going to be relocating all the athletic staff and coaches offices (many of which currently were in between what will join Gutterson and Tarrant and have temporarily been moved elsewhere until everything is completed, or need to be moved for Tarrant (the current connector part for Patrick and Gutterson is where the ADs offices are, plus all the ones up on that Patrick Gym balcony second floor). Not to mention having to probably redo many of the locker room facilities for the students and faculty who use the fitness center, and I also believe the athletes are getting their dedicated strength center possibly relocated as well, because the current plans call for that area to be re-purposed for the general wellness facility.
You can kind of see it in the visuals for the fitness center part...basically, they're keeping the current Patrick Gym floors (maybe not the center court), but they're pulling out all the bleachers, probably blowing out that balcony and of course the offices up there, as well as redoing the lobby, but inside where the courts are behind it, on the wall where the basketball locker rooms, the classrooms, athletic training offices and all that are, it's all getting totally reworked as well...so they're probably now just going to start in that middle labyrinth around the pool area/racquetball courts and work up to the indoor turf/fitness class studios, and then once that's done, begin work on Tarrant, and the last step then is swapping the courts/upper track used for rec purposes over (the lower track is staying to be used for the indoor season for track and field)
The short of it is they're going to be a lot that needs to be done down there because you're directly building something new in the middle of it, and unless you know your way around you're walking through the fitness areas like Spinal Tap trying to find the stage. So, they have to fix it.
Anyway, the BFP talked to Schulman about it. The basketball facility still has the president and board's support for getting done. Until there is an actual reason to panic, don't.
UVM's Board of Trustees approved the resumption of construction on its $95 million athletic facility overhaul — except for the basketball arena.
www.burlingtonfreepress.com
