“I think it’s really great. It adds more things to do on campus,” Jenna O’Neil ‘22 said of the renovations. “I’m excited to utilize the fitness studio. I think it’ll benefit a lot of students.”

Director of Recreation Matt Clark started at John Carroll 10 months ago, with a push from Student Government already underway to perform a large amount of renovations on campus.

“We decided on [replacing the racquetball courts] for the fitness studio because it’s in a hallway that gets a lot of traffic, and we want students to come in and explore the new space,” Clark said. 

“We wanted this space to be welcoming and inclusive, where students felt like they could walk in and have no problems with exercise.”

A ballet bar was added in hopes of offering a barre class in the future as well as new spin bikes that are up-to-date and do not require as much maintenance. A functional fitness storage rack system that stores equipment for lots of team workouts and group exercises is also available in the studio.

Over the summer, facilities and athletics departments added new women’s sports locker rooms, a new basketball floor in the varsity gym and a new football field surface. While most projects are completed, some students believe the renovations could have been finished by the time school started.     “I think it’s a little strange how, when I’m walking throughout campus, it almost feels like I’m walking through a construction zone,” Michael Floccare ‘22 said.

An expansion of the Corbo Fitness Center and improvement of the music program space is already budgeted for next summer. Another project that could happen but is not guaranteed, according to Beam, is the creation of a restaurant/gathering space in place of the current bookstore. 

This project has many variables, and staff are working with students to incorporate the third party vendor contracts and facilities management aspects of that project, said Beam.

   “I  do think some areas needed renovation, but I also believe changes could have been incorporated elsewhere, such as the dorms or creating more parking,” Rebecca Semancik ‘21 said.

Future renovation projects to be completed over the next three to five years around campus include new tennis courts, the renovation of Dolan and/or Pacelli Hall, and library renovations in a two-tier process.

“I am beyond thrilled about these renovations, and I look forward to enjoying them throughout the remainder of my senior year,” Tobolewski said. 

“Something that truly excites me is the patio space outside the student center. I think that it will be really well utilized by students and will add a new gathering space for students to hang out, study and build a sense of community.”

A small campus allows students to easily become familiar with the surrounding buildings and the different services they provide. In order to expand the types of services available, John Carroll is adding whole slew of new and renovated facilities.

Several renovations are taking place on campus, including a new fitness studio next to the recreation desk, updates to the Underground andthe patio outside of the Student Center, and the addition of a grab-and-go convenience shop in the Dolan Center.

“I think it’s good that they’re adding areas for additional use,”  Max Wopperer ‘22 said. “It’ll be nice to have the grab-and-go in the Dolan Center, just to grab something quick to eat. I’m looking forward to all the new spaces.”

Student Government initiated these renovations through their ad hoc Special Projects Committee, previously led by Cory Beam. The committee was created to get senators together with students-at-large to distribute a campus feedback survey to garner a better understanding of what students wanted to see updated or changed on campus.

“Students wanted to see more study areas added around campus that were outside of the library, more outdoor gathering spaces and better workout facilities,” Executive Vice President of Student Government Maddie Tobolewski said. “Student Government has been able to provide feedback and input to the staff and administrators tasked with helping these projects come to fruition.”

Many spaces are completed, while the Underground is still in the final stages of being renovated into new office spaces for the Student Union and Programming Board, Fraternity and Sorority Life and Student Government. It also includes an additional small conference room for any student organization to reserve, as well as new seating outside the office areas to create more space for students to meet and study.

“The patio is just about finished, once the new furniture comes in,” Tobolewski said. “The patio features multiple black posts throughout, which are places for students to plug in and charge their devices as they work or hang out. 

“The former Murphy Conference Room was renovated into the Murphy Commons, a collaborative study area for students. This created another smaller conference room more suited to student organizations and also included an updated computer/printing lab.”

An independent architect designed all the spaces, and various student focus groups were involved in improving the design through various draft stages. An independent contractor was then brought in to complete the construction phase of the project.

“The spaces benefit students in numerous ways, and will vary from student to student,” Beam said. “John Carroll leadership delivered on their promise to put the student experience first by committing an even greater amount of University funds. The combined effort has really been a great success. It would be hard to find such cooperation between student government and school administration at any other university our size.”

Students across campus are excited for the upcoming changes, especially the new fitness studio. This space was formerly occupied by the racquetball courts, but now houses exercise equipment and a large space for group fitness classes.