For the first time since they were built, the Schrader Hall locker rooms are being renovated. The men’s and women’s locker rooms are used by several teams, including the men’s and women’s basketball, cross country and track and field teams.
Demolition of the old locker rooms officially began on Wednesday March 4 with the removal of the benches. The project is contracted to Steve General Contractors, Inc. out of Caledonia, New York.
“We’ve been going through the process of getting this going for at least a year,” maintenance supervisor for facilities services Bruce Reichard said. “The big thing was coming down with the specifics of the design of the locker room and allocating money in order to be able to do it.”
Though extensive, this project is not a complete demolition and renovation. According to Reichard, the budget is currently $40,000–$50,000 and the construction should be finished within weeks.
“The current plan is to hopefully have a majority of the construction completed by the end of spring break,” Reichard said. “That’s a bit optimistic … but—if they bring in a sufficient work force—they should have all the old lockers removed, the floors repaired, the walls up and basically be in the finishing stages of painting and installing door hardware.”
The current locker rooms have tan tile and caulk flooring with wooden benches and metal lockers. The tiling will not change much, but, according to Reichard, the athletic department may elect to put down a rubber floor like the ones used in the basketball and hockey team locker rooms.
When completed, the locker rooms––which can be used by any student regardless of if they are a varsity athlete or not––are meant to be a selling point for Geneseo to prospective students.
“The initial thought is to attract and keep high-level performers—whether they’re athletic or academic,” associate director of facilities and energy services Craig Wadsworth said. “Our facilities have to evolve in order to meet the expectations of those students coming in.”
One major change to the locker rooms will be the creation of a separate changing area for officials.
“When officials come in for athletic events, they’ll have a place to come where they can change into their appropriate uniforms for whatever they’re governing,” Reichard said.
In addition to a changing area, there will also be shower facilities for the officials.
The budget for the project does not include any furnishings for the locker rooms. That means that the Athletic Department will have to pay for any new lockers, benches or aforementioned flooring which is, according to Wadsworth, just another step in updating the school’s facilities.