The Grand Reopening of the Sports Center: A Hub for Community and Wellness

As the new semester kicks off, campus is buzzing with excitement. Students are diving into their new classes, meeting new/old friends, joining clubs, and getting started on their thesis projects. Amid all this energy, one topic seems to stand out in Reed circles: the long-awaited reopening of the newly renovated Sports Center, which has not been fully operational since early 2021.

The renovation began as a result of the Sports Center’s Gym I and Gym II roof collapsing underneath the weight of the snow and ice during a winter storm in 2021 – read further about this in the Quest coverage from February 6, 2021. The damage was extensive, and a construction project transpired, finally coming to a close just in time for the beginning of the Fall 2024 semester.

According to Director of Facility Operations Steve Yeadon, quoted in the 2021 article, the Sports Center was originally built in 1964 and, consequently, was not equipped for the increase in snow loads that the Pacific Northwest has seen in recent years, likely a result of climate change. With the new renovation, holding up to extreme weather seems to be one of many assets that planners focused on.

In an email interview, the Quest spoke with Sheena McFarland, Executive Director of Public Affairs & Communications, to get a timeline of events leading up to the renovation and reopening as well as an understanding of the details of the construction project for the last three years. 

According to McFarland, the timeline of events for the renovation began in 2021 after the gym collapse to first determine the overall scope of the damage and the need for renovation. With this, a Gym Replacement Exploratory Group was created, which examined the need for replacement-only and replacement with select additions and renovations. They recommended going beyond just replacing the collapsed gyms, with additional scope in the same location.

Following this in September 2021, a Sports Center Planning Group was appointed with ten members, including two students and two faculty members at the direction of the president. The group was given the task of collaborating and reaching a consensus around program priorities and conceptual design elements that support the highest priorities within a feasible cost envelope. They met throughout the fall and spring term, conducting all-student and all-staff surveys around preferred project elements. The Board of Trustees then authorized the project in February 2022.  

The Board of Trustees authorized construction costs for up to $25M in February of 2022. McFarland reported that the total project will not be closed out until later in this fiscal year, but the total cost was anticipated to be at or under budget. This might be in part due to insurance payments of just under $5M that Reed received from the collapse of the roofs in 2021. Construction documents were then developed in the fall of 2022, created in order to receive a construction permit from the city of Portland.  The permit was received in February 2023, with a construction schedule supporting the opening of the newly rebuilt and remodeled Sports Center to be available for students at the beginning of the fall 2024 term.

The renovation was not without its challenges, anticipated and not. That which was anticipated mainly included keeping as much of the facility open as possible during construction. 

Further, many unexpected challenges surfaced throughout the renovation. McFarland reported that early in the project, Reed was required to provide fire sprinklers above the pool area, which was not initially planned for. Following this, extensive rain complicated excavation relating to the former gym footprint that required almost doubling the excavation with extensive backfill and compaction, craning in the beams that made up the gym roof supports was both complicated and exacting, which made for great visual observation opportunities. Then, late in the project, the custom-built lockers were damaged in transit and were a complete loss. Many contractors collaborated to provide some temporary lockers until replacement custom lockers could be constructed, shipped, and installed (still pending). Also late in the project, select bathroom partitions arrived, but could not be installed due to the size not matching the available space. Again, multiple contractors collaborated to provide a solution.

While these challenges were unexpected and not ideal, construction workers, community members, students, staff, and faculty all came together in order for the project to be completed by the time it was projected to be, and as a result, we have a beautiful new Sports Center to enjoy for years to come.

The exterior of the Sports Center, the renovated Dance Studio, and new table tennis room!

Photos Courtesy of Madeleine Voth

The Quest then spoke with Michael Lombardo, Director of Athletics, Fitness and Outdoor Programs. Having been affiliated at Reed for 23 years and a director for 18 years Lombardo has seen the Sports Center and Athletics, Fitness & Outdoor Programming through many phases, and so was closely involved with the renovation over the past 3.5 years.

Lombardo explained that the new renovation was designed to “create a positive environment for all students, which includes a new welcoming entrance to the facility, a large gymnasium, two new multi-use studios, a renovated shower and locker room that includes a third gender-neutral changing area & sauna as well as a new lounge and outdoor patio, accessible to all.” With the building having, as Lombardo described, a new, more modern, Universal Design – detailed by the The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design as having the “design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.” Lombardo said that it “utilizes a configuration to create an environment that can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.”

In explaining the creed of the Sports Center, Lombardo said that the college as a whole has a “sound body and sound mind” core tenant that is a central philosophy of the Athletics, Fitness & Outdoor Programs as well. “While many of the programs we offer are physical in nature, the goal of physical activity is not to lose weight or improve physical fitness, but to engage in movement of the body. The positive relationship between physical activity and mental well-being, which can increase students’ self-esteem and reduce their stress and anxiety, has been well documented in research,” he explained.

Throughout Lombardo’s testimony, he emphasized the mission of the Sports Center; to be a space that is focused on the mindfulness and wellness of students. He highlighted the uniqueness of the Sports Center as a place for students to escape their daily stressors, engage in physical activity, and even just hang out with friends. He concluded his remarks, saying, “It is a primary goal for the department to provide our students opportunities to relieve stress, fulfill their PE degree requirements, develop a sense of community outside of the classroom, and hopefully, to have fun!”

The Sports Center is now in full commission, so take advantage of all it has to offer and stop by! In celebration of the newly remodeled Sports Center, there will be an open house on Friday, September 20, from 12:00pm–2:00pm. Snacks, demos, swag, and more will be available, and the event is open to all Reed community members!