At approximately 1:30 p.m. Jan. 27, a group of mile runners
from Eastern Michigan University, Central Michigan and
the University of Detroit Mercy circled the 200-meter oval
in Bowen Field House, marking the inaugural lap of the
new Tartan surface track.
It was a far cry from the scene last September when the
track and surrounding surface in Bowen resembled a giant
waterbed after an underground pipe burst and flooded the
facility. So much water rose, the track surface actually
was floating in some spots while outside areas in the corners
near the long jump pit and mechanical room actually dropped
two feet during the Sept. 8 incident, said Dan Salk, EMU's
assistant director, risk management and worker's compensation.
 |
BASEBALL IN BOWEN: The EMU men's baseball
team began practicing again last week
in Bowen
Field House. Until two weeks ago, the facility
was
undergoing renovations for a new track after
a
water pipe burst in September, effectively
flooding the facility and ruining the
old indoor
track.
|
"Certain areas of the floor were heaving," Salk recalled. "Larry
Ward (director of facility maintenance) described it as
the largest waterbed you've ever seen."
As a result, the facility was closed for repairs
and a few EMU athletic events scheduled in early January
were either moved to other venues or canceled.
After paying a $50,000 deductible on its self-insured
policy for the facility, the University, thus far, has
recouped approximately $1 million for renovations. The
money was used to pay for excavation costs; pouring a new
asphalt layer and leveling it to specifications for a 200-meter
indoor track; and installing and striping the new track
surface.
In addition, the facility was repainted and the
water pipes were relocated to the walls, said Bilal Sarsour,
principal plant engineer, mechanical, in the physical
plant.
"The most difficult part was to get the surface level
to specifications. That, and the undercut of the concrete
and soil," Sarsour said. "That was difficult
to deal with. Fortunately, we were able to resolve all
of the problems we faced during the project."
"The new track is a Tartan surface," Salk said, as he
pushed his shoe on the cushioned track. "It's an indoor
version of the Rynearson Stadium (outdoor) track."
In addition to the six-lane track and a runway for the
pole vault event, the interior of the track has one visible
new feature — two parallel long jump runways, with
sand pits at opposite ends to allow the men's and women's
long jump or triple jump events to occur simultaneously.
The old long jump runway and pit was located directly in
front of coaching offices and a row of exit doors along
the north end of the building.
"I really like the new track surface. It is great for
training and very responsive when racing," said Brad Fairchild,
head men's track and field coach. "The new long jump pits
will allow us to run our meets more efficiently and handle
larger competitions in the future. Our athletes are very
proud of the renovation and have responded well, taking
pride in the building. It was a long process, but we are
all very happy with the final results."
Building Bowen
Bowen Field House has undergone several renovations.
In 1976, it had its first face-lift, intended to
increase attendance at major events. In 1982, it
received a 9,400-square-foot addition, new lighting,
a new track surface and improved seating, which
expanded permanent seating capacity to 4,800. In
1986, it was further remodeled and made handicapped
accessible; offices were updated; a two-story addition
was built on the southwest corner; and the heating
and air conditioning were updated. In fall 1998,
the newly-constructed Convocation Center took Bowen's
place as the home of EMU's basketball teams. Today,
Bowen houses the human resources offices; physical
education classes are taught there; and it is still
used as an exercise facility by students and faculty. |
However, the improvements may not be over.
When the field house flooded, everything had to be removed,
including the bleachers on either side of the track as
well as the concession stand. However, the old bleachers
no longer adhere to current safety codes and could not
be placed back in Bowen, Salk said.
"These items are still up for discussion," Salk said,
explaining the University's insurance policy calls for
replacement costs. Replacement cost is defined as what
it would cost today to pay for the items. "The athletic
coaches want smaller bleachers that are portable and allow
more flexibility in the use of the field house."
Sarsour anticipated a bid for the portable bleachers would
go out this sometime this week. Discussions are ongoing
whether to replace the Bowen windows with glass or metal
panels to match the EMU Student Center.
There may be as much as $700,000 in differential funds
the University is entitled to that can be used for new
bleachers, a new concession stand and replacement of the
facility's numerous broken windows and, possibly, replacing
the building's doors, Sarsour and Salk confirmed. For example,
the new Tartan track cost $100,000 less than if the University
had replaced the old Mondo surface with the same material,
leaving that differential in funds available for facility
improvements, Salk said.
"We're entitled to the money, but we have to put it toward
other improvements in the field house. It has to go toward
real property, buildings and structures," Salk said. "We
haven't got anything in writing from the insurance carrier.
But, we're pretty sure the policy covers it."
The University is awaiting written confirmation from the
insurance company before proceeding with paying for these
improvements, Salk said.
Salk said the University also is investigating whether
it can recoup funds for costs incurred moving coaches out
of their offices in Bowen to the Convocation Center, as
well as potential lost revenues from canceled events.
Bowen Field House was dedicated Dec. 3, 1955. The 88,000-square-foot
facility housed the athletics department and had a seating
capacity of 5,400 at the time.
Today, the building is still used for track meets and
wrestling matches, physical education classes and also
houses human resources offices.
"In many ways, the facility will be in better shape than
before the pipe broke," Salk said. "Hopefully, we'll never
have this kind of loss again."
