All in all, just a few thousand bricks on the wall give Hutton Sports Center a fresh look

The bad news about the resurfacing of the Harold Hutton Sports Center was that everyone on campus had to endure one big noisy sandblasting ordeal. The good news is that the reward for that temporary inconvenience will soon be evident. The resurfacing of the entire center in the custom “Chapman Blend, Smooth Norman” brick is expected to be completed in early July.

The resurfacing required no structural change to the building itself, since the brick is actually a tile-like clay product applied to the exterior. But it does visually connect the sports facility with Beckman Hall and Leatherby Libraries, the other two bricked buildings adjoining Attallah Piazza, says Rick Turner, director of Facilities Management Services.

“It blends with the other buildings and now pulls the theme together,” Turner says. “And it’s just a nice facelift.”

In addition, the Julia Argyros Fitness Center in the Hutton Center is undergoing a makeover this summer. It is scheduled to reopen in late August with an array of state-of-the-art equipment fitted with Internet and data links, all flanked by a wall of large-screen televisions. The new center will be managed by Student Affairs and be a key component of a new student wellness initiative, says Jerry Price, Ph.D., dean of students and vice chancellor for student affairs.

“We are very excited about being involved with the Julia Argyros Fitness Center, and we think students are going to love the new remodel.  More importantly, we are excited because we have plans to make it part of a larger student health and fitness initiative we are putting together for next year,” Price said.

Staff and faculty access to the center will continue, as well, Price said.

This summer’s project is the second phase of Hutton Center improvements, which began last summer with new flooring and other building enhancements.