Information in this article has been corrected and updated.
The Recreation Center at the University of Michigan-Flint will be closed starting sometime in December for a period of 18 months. The closure is due to renovations on the basketball court and locker rooms, with plans to add air conditioning throughout the facility.
Director of Recreational Services at UM-Flint, Julia Stulock, said that renovations to the Recreation Center are needed before launching the varsity sports program in 2028.
“The university is launching an athletic department and an athletic program with varsity teams, and that is about two years out from now,” Stulock said. “Part of getting ready for those teams is to renovate the building. It was built in 1982; it’s in need of updates.”
The current plans include putting in new hardwood basketball court flooring, air conditioning throughout the facility and renovating the locker rooms to prepare for the varsity sports program.
Ervin Leavy, assistant director of Recreation Center Operations at UM-Flint, said that to help accommodate the students and faculty, all cardio and strength equipment will be moved to the former pool deck area at UM-Flint, accessed through the main doors to the University Center.
Renovations are currently being done to the pool deck space, with plans to move equipment over in Dec., with plans to open the space after midterms and the start of the winter semester.
Lisa Sancrant, assistant vice chancellor of Health and Well-Being at UM-Flint, said that personal training sessions and other programs will still continue for students and Flint residents.
“When we do close the Rec Center, we’ll spend time transitioning our equipment into the new space to get it ready for the winter semester,” Sancrant said. We’ll still be providing access to group fitness classes, cardio equipment, strength equipment, and functional fitness.”
Ervin Leavy, assistant director of Recreation Center Operations at UM-Flint, said that while intramural sports programs will still be run, spaces for those sports have not yet been defined.
“Right now we’re looking at alternative spaces to run intramural sports,” Leavy said.“We don’t really have much detail right now; we’re still looking at different spaces around the area where people can practice.”
The Recreation Center is scheduled to reopen in Fall of 2028, although a specific date for the reopening is unknown.
Maxwell Loxton is a writer for the Michigan Times he can be reached at mloxton@umich.edu.
