MAC on the Mend: College Hints Renovation May Be in Store for Huge Gym

College administrators have hinted that the Malkin Athletic Center may be next in a long line of campus buildings to undergo a major renovation.

The hulking 110,000-square-foot structure, which serves as a home to five varsity sports teams and scores of undergraduate fitness buffs, hasn't had much of a face-lift since it was built in 1931.

For all its potential, users say the facility is rundown and not the type of gym they would expect Harvard to run.

Harvard agrees.

The University recently outsourced management of the MAC to The Boston Sports Club, a company that runs gyms throughout the country. And the company will submit a report to Harvard this week about the building's physical condition and fitness offerings.

But a more substantial overhaul isn't so far off, says Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68. And the building is big enough, some say, to help ease the College's notorious student group space crunch.

"It's an important building because of its location," Lewis says. "The volume of space is not fully utilized, and nothing much has been done with the building for awhile. If you notice, every major building--the older buildings around it--are getting new looks."

No One Likes It

Although no definite renovation plans are in the works, students and administrators can dream what the centrally-located MAC--seven times the size of the Hasty Pudding building--might one day become.

"Right now it is a sub-standard facility," says Nahal Kazemi '01, a varsity athlete who uses the MAC frequently to work out.

Since its construction as Harvard's main athletic facility in the '30s, the MAC has evolved away from its original purpose.

Intercollegiate swimming events, for example, have long since moved across the river, and the MAC is now the prime recreational fitness space on campus.

The building boasts a six-lane lap pool, three basketball courts, a mezzanine area with cardiovascular equipment, two fitness rooms with weight equipment, one nautilus room and lots of locker room space. It also houses five varsity athletic programs, in addition to the offices of several more varsity coaches.

The varsity volleyball, varsity fencing and varsity wrestling programs still practice and compete at the MAC.

That said, College administrators say the University could use the space more efficiently.

"It's in a wonderful location, but there is a lot of wasted space, Associate Dean of the College David P. Illingworth '71 says. "Of the places in the area, the MAC and the Pudding building are the two best bets I've seen in a long time for making more space for undergraduates."

The entire second floor serves as an observation area for the pool, Illingworth says, even though the pool no longer hosts spectator events.

And almost half of the second floor has been blocked off to the public.

Illingworth says he could imagine removing the bleachers and revamping the area to tap into more space.

"We would still have the pool, and expand the fitness areas. We could maybe put a publications center in there, where student publications could share facilities," he says. "There are all these possibilities. Right now there are nothing more than hints [about renovations], but the hints are intriguing."

Over The River

Jay Weiss, Harvard's varsity wrestling coach, says that while his team's facilities at the MAC are clearly inadequate, the location is ideal.

"We have one of the smallest wrestling rooms in the country," Weiss says. "I don't really want to move, because the MAC is close to the kids. But kids are being injured because of the size of the room."

But administrators--and even some coaches--say varsity sports belong across the river with the rest of Harvard athletics.

"[In terms of the] athletic offices going across the river, that is something that would make sense--it would consolidate all the coaches in one place," writes Associate Dean for Physical Resources and Planning for FAS David A. Zewinski in an in an e-mail message.

Zewinski says his office is exploring potential uses for the land just north of the football stadium in Allston--land that might include space for the athletic programs currently housed in the MAC.

And although coaches with offices in the MAC love its convenience, they acknowledge it would be nice to be closer to the rest of Harvard's varsity teams.

"It's helpful to be close to the Yard and Houses if an athlete needs to have a meeting. But the arrangement is somewhat disjointed. We have to go across the river to get our mail," says assistant softball coach Terri A. Teller '99.

Under New Management

With major structural changes at least several years away, FAS has outsourced management of the MAC to The Boston Sports Club.

The company already manages the gym at Harvard Business School, and its two full time employees will now oversee operations--including recreational fitness classes--at the MAC.

John E. Wentzell, associate director of Harvard athletics, says the decision to outsource was made to get the MAC and its offerings up to speed.

"The building is so popular and so centrally located, but we didn't have it staffed properly," Wentzell says. "We had been operating at status quo for a decade, just trying to run the place for 106 hours a week."

The Boston Sports Club staffers have evaluated the facility and will report back to Harvard in about a week with their findings, Wentzell says.

The report will analyze everything from the physical condition of the building to the classes that are currently offered.

"We've taken a step in the right direction," Wentzell says. "It's a new day, a great thing for Harvard kids and fitness enthusiasts."

To begin with, Wentzell says Harvard will soon install a new electronic key card swipe at the door and new lights on the basketball courts.

And although administrators stress that long-term plans for the buildings are still up in the air, Wentzell says that at least in the short term, this new arrangement will be a clear improvement for students.

"You're going to see some painting and sprucing things up. These new people are going to be creative," he says.