Boston College students and faculty alike will be thankful for a sunny Columbus Day weekend as the Plex will be shut down for a little facelift.
Beginning today, the Flynn Recreation Complex will be partially shutting its doors to revamp its exercise facility. The lower half of the complex, including the indoor track, tennis courts, and weight room, will be closed from today until Oct. 12, while the upper mezzanine, where the aerobic equipment is located, will be closed tomorrow through Oct. 9.
John Pagliarulo, associate athletics director of recreation, said the decision to remodel the complex now, despite plans to tear it down within the next five years, is to improve the student exercise experience in the meantime.
"Our goal is to try and increase the number of cardiovascular equipment, especially treadmills and ellipticals, so as to eliminate long lines, and to expand the weight room," Pagliarulo said. "Our students are so active we thought [the remodeling] would help the Plex last into the next five years."
Pagliarulo estimates the number of treadmills and ellipticals will double, up to 30 of each machine, while the complex's entire line of Nautilus equipment will be replaced.
He also explained plans to double the size of the weight room by eliminating one of the five tennis courts that currently exist in the Plex. No new lines of equipment will be added to the weight room, said Pagliarulo; instead, the University plans to add more benches, dumbbells, and racks to cut down on waiting time for students.
Aside from eliminating one of the tennis courts, the Plex will also have to shorten the length of the indoor track.
Although tennis players may be upset about the loss of one of the few tennis courts available at BC, they will be relieved to know the courts too will be getting a makeover. The Plex has hired Westboro Tennis Surfaces to cover the courts with a new surface that will improve the play of the game. Pagliarulo said the courts currently play "too fast," meaning the surface is too smooth, causing the tennis balls to bounce back at a faster rate than on a typical court. The new surface will slow down the speed of the ball.
"This new surface will definitely help the varsity tennis teams," Pagliarulo said. "But recreation is the biggest goal [of the remodeling]."
With BC's rating as the third "most fit" college in the nation by Men's Fitness last year, it is likely that some dedicated students may cringe at the thought of breaking their fall workout routines, and wonder why the Plex doesn't hold off on the remodeling until students go home for winter break.
Pagliarulo explained that the type of paint being used to resurface the tennis courts and the weight room needs to be laid down in warmer weather. With temperature and humidity as factors, the paint is better to apply in the fall as it will help the new surface spread evenly and dry more quickly.
Students that fear a Columbus Day weekend confined in residence halls and library stacks will find that there are plenty of opportunities to remain active.
The Plex recommends a number of jogging routes, which can be found on the main page of its Web site. Brighton Campus is a prime spot for a pick-up game of soccer or ultimate Frisbee, as is Alumni Stadium.
Within a few days, an improved Plex will be waiting for students to wear in the new treadmills and bench presses.
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