The Sandra A. and William L. Richter Center’s two basketball courts underwent a remodel over the summer. Both now display the wolf shield logo with a light-color wood finish on the two center courts.
Rob DeFazio, director of the Center for Activities, Recreation and Leadership, explained that as the Richter Center approached 14 years of operation with the same wood flooring, it was time to be updated.
The new floors are now up-to-date with the new basketball 3-point line and charging arc as well as updated volleyball lines. He said the renovation was a four-week-long process over the summer, which totaled up to a cost of $28,300.
“It’s the same wood,” DeFazio said. “What we did was sand off all of the finish that had been put on over the years until we got back down to that wood and then we could start over from scratch again.”
DeFazio said the response from students and faculty has been outstanding. He said faculty who visited throughout the summer gave positive feedback to the restoration.
“We added the Bonnies wolf logo right in the middle, which wasn’t something we had to do,” DeFazio said. “But we thought it was something students would appreciate.”
Mike Martin, a senior political science major, said he noticed the new wolf logos on the courts when he first walked into the Richter Center upon returning for school this semester.
“It’s really cool,” said Martin, who plays basketball intramurals and pick-up games at the Richter Center. “It feels like the Reilly Center’s Division I court.”
The university aims to make yearly improvements to the Richter Center. A future project would be to have the multipurpose court’s floors redone with a new paint finish. Due to the time required and for convenience, this would be another summer project, said DeFazio.
The Richter is open from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to midnight on Sundays.
By Morgan Hoffman Features Assignment Editor @hoffmamk16@bonaventure.edu
