Study finds UNC is seriously short on recreational space

Students who are tired of waiting on the squat rack at the Student Recreation Center or done trying to squeeze their pick-up soccer game onto Ehringhaus Field might have noticed the limited recreation space on campus.

Campus Recreation Director Bill Goa and his staff are drawing up a major expansion plan to bring UNC’s exercise and sports facilities up to par with other Division 1 athletic schools.

“Our overall goal is to provide recreational facilities and recreational programs to make us a top five public institution, program and facility wise,” Goa said. “We want our programs and facilities to match our brand.”

He said the global design and planning firm HOK was brought in to run a study that compares the amount of acreage set aside for recreational space, as well as the type and quality of recreation facilities, against the student population.

“What we have done, or what we’re in the process of doing, is a feasibility study of all recreational facilities, both indoor and outdoor,” Goa said.

Goa said the study shows the University should have 28 to 35 acres of outdoor recreation space — UNC currently has nine.

“When we take all this, we’ll then go to the students, and then take that to UNC administration and say, ‘This is what the students want,’” he said.

Goa said there is a possibility for the SRC to expand toward Stadium Drive and potentially add a completely new wing.

“We think we could probably capture about 150,000 square feet,” Goa said.

Jill Coleman, a landscape architect for Facilities Services, said there are obvious problems when it comes to expansion — space and competition.

“The one thing that I can say is that we’re just beginning to work on a University master plan,” Coleman said. “A number of different departments do a feasibility study. It’s something they do on a regular basis to stay up to date.”

She said the University is working with limited space and the last time it was assessed was 2007.

Some students are feeling the lack of space for recreational space.

Sophomore Duncan Hales and his fraternity brothers put together an intramural basketball team every year, but can’t always get space to practice.

“The gym gets packed during the main hours and the courts get swarmed,” he said. “Unless you stake your spot early, it’s pretty tough to get on.”

Hales said beyond just club teams and intramurals, he wanted to see more space for people to go out and exercise.

“Even last year as a (first-year) going to the gym over at Rams, it’s kind of a smaller gym and I didn’t get to play a lot, and the actual gym facility upstairs is pretty limited. I found myself just kind of sitting on a rowing machine all the time,” Hales said.

Goa said Campus Recreation plans to release the finalized results around October 1. The study will be shown to UNC administration in order to go through an approval process for construction.

“We’re really excited about all of this and really excited to release this,” he said.

@NicRardin

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