Pottruck's basketball courts will reopen Oct. 14 after renovations to fix water damage

The basketball courts in Pottruck Health and Fitness Center, which have been closed for water damage repairs, are set to reopen on Oct. 14.

While the renovation is underway, students are using the basketball courts in Weightman Hall and the Tse Center, which are both located on 33rd Street, Director of Athletic Communications Michael Mahoney said. The courts were closed over the summer while officials planned the renovations, which officially started on Sept. 11, Penn Facilities and Real Estate Services project manager Dave Pancoe said.

The renovation project to replace the flooring will cost about $500,000, Associate Athletic Director of Facilities Noah Gustkey said.

The water damage in the basketball courts was caused by rainstorms that were un-forecasted over the summer when roof renovation was being conducted, FRES Design and Construction Executive Director Mike Dausch said.

“We had more major rainstorms this summer than what we had in the history of the area,” Dausch said.

Instead of repairing the water-damaged part of the floor, FRES decided to renovate the entire basketball court flooring.

“Some of the concerns with repairing the floor were the age of the floor and possible further damage to the floor, as it has already passed its useful life," Dausch said. "So we took the opportunity to go in and replace the entire floor and upgrade it."

The 51-year-old floor will be replaced by a more modern court, similar to what is currently being used in the Palestra and the John R. Rockwell Gymnasium at Tse Center.

“[The old floor] actually surpassed what would normally be considered the normal lifespan of a gym floor,” Dausch said.

Pancoe said the new floor is a two-part system, with a subfloor and a maple hardwood floor on the top.

“It is a state-of-the-art system. When you are jumping and landing, it is much easier on your knees and your joints, so it can significantly reduce the amount of injuries due to the floors,” Pancoe said.

Gustkey said there have been many renovations and significant investments over the years in athletic facilities.

“There have been quite a few upgrades to the gym area to improve the conditions for student athletes,” Gustkey added.

Pottruck opened in 2002 and was recently ranked the second-best campus recreation center in the country, after the University of Chicago's Gerald Ratner Athletic Center. It was described as “the finest campus recreation center in the region” by College Consensus.