Casa Loma gym will be undergoing renovations at the end of October
Casa Loma gym will be undergoing renovations at the end of October
Photo: Brittany Barber/The Dialog
George Brown College’s (GBC) Casa Loma campus will begin construction onr a brand new student gym on Oct. 24.
“I am thrilled to finally see this begin and I am thrilled for the students at Casa Loma,” said Gerard Hayes, director of student experience at GBC.
This $5 million project will make the space very “impressive,” and “aesthetically, we will put a lot of effort into making it really nice, and function as well,” said Hayes.
Originally constructed in 1972 and officially opening the following year, students have been complaining that their high school gym was better than the one at Casa Loma campus.
So, in order to make these changes to the gym, the first phase of the renovations will be to fix the leaks coming down from the patio.
During this time, students will be guided through blue fences, stepping over exposed grates, and walking on wooden boards, however, the patio will not be closed down.
The second phase will be the gym’s demolition, taking place during intersession week. The construction will destroy the existing structure and leave only the bare walls exposed.
Becoming much bigger, with expansions going into the building, the Casa Loma gym will be a full-sized gymnasium much like the one at St. James campus.
The expansion will not only allow for varsity games to be played but will allow for full regulation games as well, with seating on pull-out bleachers for about 200 people.
Not only will the overall layout of the gym be significantly bigger, but there are also plans to make the dressing rooms, washrooms and lockers larger, as well as the therapy rooms, and two rooms for yoga and pilates.
“At Casa Loma, we actually have more room for classroom space, washrooms and dressing rooms,” said Hayes.
The overhead second level of the gym with fitness bikes and treadmills, will be “the best part,” said Hayes. This area will have an all glass front over-looking the gym, and “as you’re riding your bike or running on the treadmill, you can look into the gym.”
Although the short-term pitfall will be the loss of the gym until August 2015, according to George Brown’s press release on the Casa Loma renovations, students are more than welcome to visit the Alex Barbier gym for all of their workout needs.
