Spring Facelift in the Works For Indoor Athletic Building

The Indoor Athletic Building (IAB) will be modernized and refurbished this spring for $1.5 million, a Faculty official said yesterday.

Although design plans are not final, the repairs will probably include the replacement of windows and lockers, the addition of workout space by modernizing the pool gallery, roofing repairs, and interior painting said Thomas A. Quinn, acting director of facilities for the Faculty.

Work will begin this spring and will continue throughout the summer so that it does not interfere with student use of the facility, he added.

The IAB currently houses the varsity wrestling and fencing teams, the Boxing Club and the offices of several other varsity sports. It is also used for recreational swimming and basketball. Last month, a nautilus machine and other weightlifting equipment were also installed.

The building has already undergone repairs in the last month to seal off exposed asbestos insulation. These repairs followed complaints from some users of the building, who claimed that dangerously high levels of the carcinogenic chemical had created a health hazard.

The building is in poor condition because regular maintenance work such as painting, cleaning and general repairs has been neglected, university officials and users of the building said yesterday.

"The old windows are rotting out in many cases, and the rusted lockers need to be replaced," Quinn said.

"Nobody takes care of the building, and nothing gets repaired," Fencing Master Branimir Zivkovic said. "It's a beautiful building, but a total waste," he added.

He also said that the fencing team's current facilities are too small, possibly increasing the chance of injuries.

Quinn said yesterday that the renovations will likely include a larger fencing room.

"So long as we don't get moved to a smaller room, I'm all for the improvements," Wrestling Coach John Lee said yesterday, sounding a common theme.