Sam Feldstein
Gym goers run on treadmills in the front exercise room of Carmichael Gymansium Feb 9. Renovations on this room is will take place in May and the room will double in size.
Carmichael Gymnasium will undergo a $7.6 million construction project from May until December to renovate locker rooms and expand the fitness center, all funded through student fees.
The renovations are the second part of the Recreational Sports Master Plan in an effort to meet the recreation fitness and wellness needs of NC State students. The first part of the plan was the renovation of Carmichael Gym’s main entrance.
The renovations will open up the hallways and allow people to walk freely without having to go through the intimidating long corridors, said Eric Hawkes, director of University Recreation.
“One of the things that’s driving so much of these renovations is that our facility is not inviting. It’s not very inclusive, and it’s kind of a scary place. We want to really be very purposeful with our design and our plans to really open it up,” Hawkes said.
The men’s locker rooms will be reduced by 5,500 square feet in order to make space for a bigger cardio room. During peak times such as 6-9 a.m. and 4-5 p.m., there are not enough cardio machines, according to Hawkes.
“If you walk into the facility at those times, you’ll see that you have to wait for equipment,” Hawkes said.
After construction, the number of men’s lockers will be reduced from 1,300 to 1,130 lockers and the number of women’s lockers will be reduced from 850 to 620. Lockers will still be available during construction, however.
There will be 18 additional cardio pieces coming in that will join the 39 cardio pieces already in the cardio room. The room will also be rearranged to increase lightning.
“Cardio is a huge priority for us moving forwards,” said Hawkes.
The new machines will come with personal viewing screens where users can watch TV, go on the Internet and use apps to check Facebook or Twitter, all while working out. This will make working out more enjoyable and cause people to want to work out more often, according to William Craig, director of Strength and Conditioning.
“We know our cardio right now is kind of outdated,” Craig said. “Not the machines – but the technology that goes into it.”
However, not all machines will have personal viewing screens for those who don’t want the technology, according to Craig.
Along the back wall facing Miller Fields, the current brick walls will be replaced with glass walls all the way around the back side of Carmichael.
“Right now, it’s a little dark and dingy,” Hawkes said. “After construction, it will be a really aesthetically pleasing area to work out in.”
The renovated locker rooms will have higher quality space that is seen in today’s YMCAs and private gyms, Hawkes said.
“We’re trying to clean it up and give it a much better look and feel,” Hawkes said.
The current locker rooms and showers are underutilized due to being outdated and unwelcoming, according to Hawkes.
All of the showers will be single-use lockable showers with an adjacent changing room. The changing rooms will be similar to those in department stores, Hawkes said.
There will also be two single-use, universal locker rooms. Patrons that don’t want to use either the men’s or women’s locker room will have a space with additional privacy with all the amenities of the full-sized locker room, according to Hawkes.
“It allows us to be inclusive and provide you with privacy no matter who you are,” Hawkes said.
Another big change is functional movement. The expansion will allow for a formal functional space where patrons can do whatever they want with bars, body weight and lateral movement.
An adult jungle gym with battle ropes and punching bags attached will also be added to the space.
Two Olympic lifting platforms will also be added so patrons can partake in Olympic weightlifting, Craig said.
During renovations, patrons will have to access the facility through the Aquatics Center entrance or the Cates Avenue entrance.
University Recreation is hosting Carmichael Addition Visioning Sessions on Feb. 13 at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to ask students what they want in a recreational facility.
“This is a student-driven initiative,” Hawkes said. “Student feedback is what’s driving this project.”