Following months of anticipation, the Cal Poly Recreation Center opened quietly Tuesday morning after years of construction and planning.
University Union Advisory Board Chair Karen Mesrobian, a philosophy senior, said she carefully orchestrated the opening to allow users the best experience throughout the first day.
“It gives the students a pleasant experience the first time they walk in the facility,” she said. “If they’re waiting in line for a really long time or if it’s really crowded, they’re not going to get the customer service from our staff or the time to just kind of look around.”
One student was already in line at 6 a.m. when the center opened, and Mesrobian said there was a slow stream of additional users coming in throughout the morning. She said she expects hundreds of students flowing in every hour throughout the afternoon, with as many as 1,000 individuals coming to the center today.
The project, which students approved in a 2008 vote, was originally brought about by a lack of available space in the old center. The newly opened center has approximately triple the amount of space for weights, totaling nearly 21,000 square feet.
“It’s a gorgeous facility, it’s amazing state of the art equipment,” Mesrobian said. “Everyone who has come in so far has been really enthusiastic about it.”
The expansion also includes one spin studio, as well as two multi-purpose studios. There is also a Multi Activity Center (MAC) that has capacity to seat 730 people and will be used for small events such as movies and concerts. The outside of the center contains beach volleyball courts, a leisure pool and areas to barbecue.
Although the center is up and running, some of the technology is still being worked on.
For the first two weeks the center is open, users will not be required to use the HandKey security system, Mesrobian said. Instead, users will sign a waiver upon entry into the Recreation Center.
The MAC and rock climbing facility are also closed until the end of their additional construction. Additionally, the leisure pool is closed until crews can clean away magnesium and iron residue found last week.
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