The first project of a multi-stage process to renovate the Dow Fitness and Recreation Center was completed on Oct. 5 with the opening of the new cardio facility.
Albion College has spent over $498,751 on the cardio room and several other improvements made this year within the Dow. However, under a plan made prior to start of the project, the room currently housing all of the new cardio equipment is just the start of a wellness addition which the Board of Trustees will review plans for during a meeting later this week.
“There is a lot of cardio equipment all over The Dow, and students have expressed a desire to have more of that equipment,” said Ken Kolmodin, associate vice president of facilities operations.
With several treadmills having personal L.C.D. televisions and multiple high definition televisions at the front of the room, giving the facility a more modern appeal was a high priority in the construction.
“We did a lot of research of what (was) on the market before we purchased our equipment,” said Jerry Block, Dow director. “We wanted our equipment to be top of the line, and so everything that we purchased is the latest and greatest of what’s out.”
An extension will be built in the area behind the current room and expand out towards the Dow parking lot. Once built, all of the new cardio equipment will be moved into the new area, and the room currently housing the equipment will become the main entrance to the wellness addition.
Dow staff members have already received positive feedback from people around the campus about how the new facility has been making workouts more enjoyable, and they are excited about the impact that this project will have on the students.
“If having top of the line equipment means influencing more students to work out and get in shape, then it’s a great benefit to the facility,” Block said.
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