The new weight room in Ping Center is just the beginning of the facility’s planned upgrades — which might also include adding on a floor.
This past summer’s upgrades cost about $15,000 and include: three new squat racks, five new barbells and three new sets of bumper plates. All of the bench presses were also refurbished, said Tasha Westfall, Ping’s interim assistant director.
The $15,000 came from the campus recreation budget that is allocated by the Budget Planning Council. The council allocated approximately $200,000 to Ping — money to be used over the next three years.
But officials are also considering adding an entire new level on to the facility. The plans are strictly in a developmental stage and have no set timetable.
Steven Sammons, Ping’s interim executive director of campus recreation, estimated the additions would add close to 6,000 square feet to Ping.
Ping 2015, a committee composed of staff, faculty and undergraduate and graduate students, spearheaded the summer’s updates to improve building.
“We just want Ping to be a friendly environment. … we are trying to make it a better facility for the students,” said Matt Keller, a senior and member of the Ping 2015 committee.
Keller said he hopes the committee can transform Ping into a place where students want to go to hang out and where everyone can feel comfortable.
The decision to upgrade Ping was a result of student feedback, which showed a desire for more free weight options. Ping staff held open forums and sent out surveys and emails to gather information.
“It’s a problem when you have people lining up (outside the free weight room) like it is a bar,” Sammons said.
Other definite plans for Ping are to turn Area B, the basketball court located next to the equipment desk, into an all new free-weight room and turn the current free-weight room into a “cross-fit” training area to be completed sometime in 2014.
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