The Theodore R. Gibson Health Center at Kendall Campus is getting a much-needed makeover thanks to a floor replacement project that will cost more than $650,000, according to Athletic Director Alysia Dyer.
Renovations will start in late April and are expected to be complete by August. The 22,400 square foot facility—which was built in 1973 and last had its flooring replaced in 1994—hosts the College’s volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball games.
“We have been waiting for this for the longest,” said Lady Sharks Head Volleyball Coach Origenes “Kiko” Benoit.
Last summer, the floor level bleachers were replaced in the gymnasium. The new retractable seating, which went from yellow to blue, cost $114,000.
The College studied more than six gyms to plan for the new floor. The Sharks logo will be featured prominently on the maple hardwood flooring and the court will be lined with a blue border that matches the bleachers. Dyer promises the end product will be aesthetically appealing and better cushioned to protect players from injuries.
“We’re hoping that [our athletes] will jump a little higher and be a little less sore after games and practices,” Dyer said.
Sharks head men’s basketball coach Jorge Fernandez believes the new floor will help with recruiting.
“A lot of kids when they make decisions of where to go to school, [they] make decisions with their eyes and that is going to be very appealing to them,” Fernandez said.
Those thoughts were echoed recently when he showed a rendering of the new floor to a prospective student-athlete and his dad.
“They were like ‘whoa, that is gonna be nice,’” Fernandez said. “You could see the excitement on their faces.”
The new floor is consistent with recent upgrades the athletic department has made to its facilities. In January, the baseball field underwent $200,000 in renovations that included a new padded outfield fence, two yellow metal foul poles and a batter’s eye screen behind center field to help hitters see the ball better.
This summer, they are looking at refurbishing the dugouts, changing the benches and replacing the storage shelving at the baseball field. The softball facility is expected to get a new Shark decal.
