Lied Recreation Athletic Center is under renovations, and most of them are currently in the completion stage. 

Due to the flood, Lied has had areas in the facility renovated, said Michael Giles, director of recreation services.

“The total replacement is about $500,000,” Giles said. “Funding for Lied damage repairs will come from insurance and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”

Renovations include a new turf in the track area, new racquetball courts, new flooring in hallways and corridors, replacing service desk furniture and installing new athletic lockers, Giles said. 

Most of the renovations have been completed. The turf and racquetball courts have been completed and flooring is nearing completion.

There will also be new installments in the women’s and men’s locker rooms.

“[The reason for renovations to locker rooms is] to allow for removal of existing lockers and install new lockers,” Giles said. 

The men’s locker rooms will be temporarily closed for renovations. 

“Locker installation starts Monday,” Giles said. “Only one locker room will be shut down at a time.”   

According to Recreation Services’s website, the men’s locker rooms will be reopened Monday, Jan. 31. Once that is complete, the women’s locker rooms will be starting the same day as the men’s reopens. The women’s locker room will be reopened Feb. 7.

Next up for repairing is the roof. Renovations to the roof are set to be completed in February. 

“There will be installation of sky lights in the track area, ” Giles said.

To include the project going on at State Gym, together this is a huge project. 

There is so much to do that the carpenters can only work on one recreation center at a time. 

“It is our intent once we open State and get equipment there, we will focus on Lied and get it up to today’s standards,” Giles said. 

The August floods affected most of Iowa, and one step at a time, everything is coming back together. 

“The flood was unfortunate, and I hope we don’t have to go through it again,” Giles said. 

“Lied in a way is getting a facelift,” Giles said. “If you want to take the positive out of the negative, this will be the good.”