Romney Gym renovation and repurposing

[BelgradeBobcat]

http://www.montana.edu/us/pdc/projects/ ... enovation/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It was tweeted out that President Cruzado and Tracy Ellig were going to lead a tour of Romney Gym today and explain their future plans for the building. They're looking to the Legislature for $28 million to completely gut the building and repurpose it as an academic center.

It was a very interesting tour. I haven't been in Romney Gym in years, but it's definitely past due for a renovation. A lot of it just sits empty like the old swimming pool because they can't use it. The building is totally inaccessible so that makes it impractical to use as well. They still use the old gym where the Golden Bobcats played-they were doing a ball room dancing class there this afternoon. The plans and ideas they have for the building are really great. It would be so beneficial for the university. The gym is in such a central location and the building is so beautiful and historic that it needs to be fully utilized. I hope they can get it done.

Many thanks to Dr Cruzado and Tracy Ellig for the tour. I really enjoyed it.

Here's a news report about the tour today: http://www.kbzk.com/news/state-lawmaker ... ll-at-msu/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[KittieKop]

Boy, I think I have mixed feelings on this. It would be horrible to lose that old, historic gymnasium. Rest of the building? Maybe not so much. But there's more to the history of that building than the outside structure and the bones. Once its gone, it' can never be brought back again.

[BelgradeBobcat]

Boy, I think I have mixed feelings on this. It would be horrible to lose that old, historic gymnasium. Rest of the building? Maybe not so much. But there's more to the history of that building than the outside structure and the bones. Once its gone, it' can never be brought back again.

I had the exact same thoughts going in. They thought about preserving the gym, but they said it just wouldn't mix with the rest of the plan which is studying and class rooms. The activities in the gym would be too noisy. They want to preserve the gym floor. It makes a lot of sense what they are trying to do with the building because it is so centrally located to everything-it needs to be used.

[bobcat99]

With a growing student body, we can't have a decent sized building just sitting there not being used. Pretty much have to renovate it at some point.

[KittieKop]

With a growing student body, we can't have a decent sized building just sitting there not being used. Pretty much have to renovate it at some point.

No, I get that, but I hate to see a renovation of a historical building into something so pedestrian like classroom or tutoring space. Its like taking a grand old mansion and renovating it into apartments; it would be like taking an old theater and turning it into an auto repair shop.

I can see ditching the pool and a lot of the non-functional space, but I think they could find a way to preserve the gym, the upper deck and the feel of the building. There are modern ways to address noise and there are enough physical fitness-related activities they could hold in there that wouldn't detract from the activity of the rest of the building. They were having ballroom dancing in there.....not exactly a basketball game. I just think if all they want to do with the building is convert it into basically classroom space, they should build a nondescript, square brick/glass/mortar building and make classroom. Seems like a waste of a historical space.

I do agree the space needs fixing. It was in poor shape to say the least 20 years ago when I played pick up BB games in the gym and had karate class in one of the basement rooms.

[TIrwin24]

I hope that they're able to keep the exterior facade and completely renovate the inside for the use of the students. It's a pretty darn cool building.

[rtb]

They want to preserve the gym floor.

Preserve it in that space or pull it up and repurpose the floor? I'd love to get some planks of wood from that floor if they do pull it up!

[ImagineSanta]

I spent a lot of my life in that building, I'd hate to see them take it down.

[allcat]

I took fencing and square dancing in there.

[BelgradeBobcat]

They want to preserve the gym floor.

Preserve it in that space or pull it up and repurpose the floor? I'd love to get some planks of wood from that floor if they do pull it up!

As I understand it they want to keep it in place.

[BelgradeBobcat]

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/op ... 28763.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A Chronicle editorial about the project. Also, it looks like they're doing another tour before the football game this afternoon.

[BLACKnBLUEnGOLD]

I used to swim in that pool and shoot baskets in the gym on weekends. Why did they stop using the pool?

[bozbobcat]

I used to swim in that pool and shoot baskets in the gym on weekends. Why did they stop using the pool?

They heard you were using the pool, so they had to shut it down.

As I understood it, the pool leaked quite a bit by the end of its use. I've been in Romney a few times for work and it's really not in good shape. For one thing, I was shocked to see that the alarm system for the building was someone standing at the bottom of the stairs with an air horn. That doesn't seem too safe to me. It's a great building that needs a use. I'd like to see the gym floor or gym saved, but it makes sense to try and handle the influx of population that MSU has right now by providing a centrally-located place for student services.

[BLACKnBLUEnGOLD]

I used to swim in that pool and shoot baskets in the gym on weekends. Why did they stop using the pool?

They heard you were using the pool, so they had to shut it down.

As I understood it, the pool leaked quite a bit by the end of its use. I've been in Romney a few times for work and it's really not in good shape. For one thing, I was shocked to see that the alarm system for the building was someone standing at the bottom of the stairs with an air horn. That doesn't seem too safe to me. It's a great building that needs a use. I'd like to see the gym floor or gym saved, but it makes sense to try and handle the influx of population that MSU has right now by providing a centrally-located place for student services.

Yeah. I definitely don't object to increasing the number and availability of veteran's services on campus, either.