When the George W. Woodruff Physical Education Center first opened in 1983, the community was overjoyed to have a real athletic facility at last.

There was just one problem: it leaked.

The flat roof and faulty skylights have caused trouble in the building for years. Now a major capital project to fix the problems is underway, and construction will likely continue through the fall.

When the $8.25-million project is completed, the WoodPEC will have a new, 80,000-square-foot upper story with four indoor tennis courts, two multipurpose courts, and office space. The red metal roof will better fit Emory’s campus master plan, but more importantly, it will be angled to allow for better drainage.

“We’re doing very little to the inside of the building other than replacing the skylights,” says project manager Art Platt.

Three of the facility’s current seven rooftop tennis courts will be lost in the new project, but athletics staff agree the gain is well worth it: a P.E. center where the only splashing is in the Olympic-size pool.


Illustration by Ruth Mitchell
 
 

 

© 2004 Emory University