With the opening of the Convocation Center, the Chick Evans Field House no longer was needed for basketball and volleyball games. But it is not going to sit and collect dust; it will be turned into another outlet for NIU students to work out.

Currently, the Rec is in the process of gutting the inside of the fieldhouse.

The budget for the project is about $2.5 million, which the Rec will use to pay for the removal of the floor and the bleachers in the fieldhouse, and to bring the building up to the current building codes.

In addition, the Rec will use the money to pay the people who will be doing the work on the building, which John Sweeney, director of the Rec, said is over one-third of the budget. This leaves an estimated $1.6 million to pay for the removal of materials and the purchasing of new equipment.

The synthetic floor currently in the fieldhouse contains mercury, which is a problem because mercury can only be disposed of in a few places in the country. In NIU’s case, the old flooring will be disposed of in Arkansas.

Another expense that will be incurred is the removal of about 6,000 seats that occupy the fieldhouse. Each seat will cost between $6 and $7 to remove.

Sweeny said the plans are not finalized, but they do have a wish list of things that they hope to put into the fieldhouse.

“We know that we are getting a brand new synthetic floor and boarding systems for indoor soccer and floor hockey,” he said.

In addition, two courts will be put up, for both volleyball and basketball. Around the perimeter of the courts will be a track of about three or four lanes for people to run, which will be similar to the one at the Rec.

If the project stays under budget, the Rec also plans to add an indoor putting surface, renovate the locker rooms and add more weightlifting and fitness facilities.

The addition of the boards for floor hockey and indoor soccer will open up a new venue for students to play those sports on more than an intramural level, Sweeney said.

Sweeney said the addition of basketball courts will alleviate the wait to get into a pick-up game at the Rec.

“I know for sure my friends and I would go to the fieldhouse to play basketball,” junior accountancy major Steve Jordan said. “It would be nice for us because we have to wait to get into games at the Rec.”