After over a year of expansion on Nov. 8, Associated Students held the Aztec Recreation Center’s grand reopening to present the newly rebuilt gymnasium.
As the news spread through campus it created a major buzz amongst students. Over 50 students, faculty and staff gathered around the new front doors on the south end of the building awaiting the opening. The doors opened at noon.
The new ARC is nearly complete with 94,000 square feet, two floors, an indoor track, many activity rooms, almost all brand new equipment, a rock wall, different fitness areas and more.
ARC employees were ecstatic with the results and attendance at the reopening event, finally being able to see how all of their hard work paid off.
“I feel like the new ARC will fit a variety of people’s needs and next semester we should have a new basketball court,” ARC employee and SDSU student Rachel Browne said.
The construction on the ARC renovation will continue throughout the upcoming semester until the summer of 2022 in order to finish the basketball court, activity rooms and heart rate monitors throughout the gymnasium. This will result in seven multi-use courts on the north portion of the facility according to the Associated Students website.
“There was some noise with the construction, but I was more excited about more machines and more space,” second year student Marcus Duggs said.
The anticipation for the grand reopening was heightened especially due to the lack of an indoor campus recreation center due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was really hard during the pandemic. I had to go to my friend’s gym,” second year student Parsa Pourmoula said.
In order to follow COVID-19 protocol facial coverings are required in the ARC, there are only touchless water fountains and there is a touchless entry with the Aztec Rec app. This app allows members of the recreation center to access the facility with a barcode and access drop-in events.
The new ARC continued to fill in as time continued, packed with students taking tours and trying out new equipment. Students were fitting in workouts they were unable to get in days before due to the closure of the Aztec Recreation Center on Nov. 6 and 7 to prepare for the grand reopening.
For one student this was a momentous occasion.
“There was so much equipment, so many happy people working out, probably one of my best experiences on campus so far. I was just thrilled to be a part of it,” a first year student Liam Riley said.
This excitement could be felt throughout the new section of the ARC. Students were able to discover new sections and get a better understanding of the new layout of the recreation center.
To learn more about what the new ARC offers, visit the website.
