University of Wisconsin Recreation and Wellbeing announced a delayed opening for the Nicholas Recreation Center in an email to students Wednesday evening.
The Nick had originally been scheduled to open in January 2020, but according to a statement from RecWell, weather and construction challenges will delay the opening until the later part of 2020. The statement had no specific date for opening.
RecWell director Mick Miyamoto said though the delay is disappointing, RecWell will continue to provide athletic services and programming in the meantime.
“We want to assure students and our members that we will continue to deliver outstanding services and programs in the meantime,” Miyamoto said in the statement. “We are excited to share this incredible space with campus once it is complete.”
The statement said the specific construction problems had to do with the indoor pool tank, interior support structures and utilities coordination, among other factors impeding progress.
Weather problems like the flooding in summer 2018 and freezing temperatures last winter also delayed the project.
Executive Director of Facility Planning & Delivery Kip McMahan reassured students the final facility will be worth the wait.
“Although this delay is not the news any of us were hoping to hear, we are intent on receiving a multi-generational facility that will meet this campus’s expectations for high-quality spaces,” McMahan said in the statement.
Associate Director of Strategic Engagement and Wellbeing Alex Peirce said in an email to the Herald that RecWell’s expanded their services at the Natatorium and the Shell to accomodate the SERF’s closing two years ago, and these services would continue to be available until the belated opening.
Peirce said RecWell’s seen a 15% drop in annual participation with their services, but said they’ve maintained their available spaces. Peirce said expanding new athletic spaces in the interim would be a difficult task, though they’ll continue to work with other organizations to serve students.
“We have found that identifying additional space that can support fitness equipment or activities on campus is not an easy task,” Peirce said. “We’ve continued to work with campus partners to identify opportunities to serve students outside of our facilities.”
This article was updated Oct. 30 at 8:45 p.m. to reflect new information from a RecWell spokesperson.
