Article by: Harley Harrison, News Editor and Marley Tucker, Opinions Editor
Bulldogs were swimming this summer but not in the pool at the Ferris Student Recreation Center (SRC).
An incident that occurred in May left the SRC flooded with water and unable to function, according to an official Ferris press release.
“It was determined that the cause of the May 28 flooding in the SRC was the failure of a threaded fitting on a retaining cover clamp backflow prevention device associated with the building’s fire suppression system,” the press release said.
The flooding started in the mechanical room and reached outward and into the men’s shower, restroom and locker facilities. The flooding also reached the team meeting rooms, storage and IT rooms at the basement level of the building. All impacted rooms were engulfed in two feet of water.
“Belof, an emergency response contractor, was brought on site, May 30, to help assess the facility condition and commence clean up,” the press release said. “Multiple contractors were involved with inspection and restoration of specific building systems to include: electrical, fire alarm, fire suppression, water systems, HVAC systems and controls.”
The damages to the SRC have provoked renovations in the facility. According to the press release, the Board of Trustees has approved the Ferris administration’s request for funding several improvements, an amount which will not exceed $6 million. These improvements will target the weightlifting area, the fitness area, restrooms and gathering spaces, all of which were guided by student input.
The press release also included a statement from Ferris Vice President for Student Affairs Jeanine Ward-Roof.
“We’re excited about these important renovations to our Student Recreation Center and what this will mean to our current and future students as well as our overall university community,” Ward-Roof said in the release. “Guided by the important work of our Strategic Enrollment Task Force, we’ve identified the Student Recreation Center as our top priority because of the role it does and will continue to play in attracting top students to Ferris State University and then retaining them through a positive experience.”