Students work at Hydrations, located in the lobby of the Recreational Sports Center. The dining facility will likely close at the end of the school year due to a number of factors including low sales and remodeling plans. (ANNE GARDNER | The Miami Student)
Although many students enjoy capping off a sweaty jog around the track at the Recreational Sports Center (RSC) with an ice-cold fruit smoothie, rec users will soon find this treat to be a luxury of the past. The RSC only dining facility, Hydrations, is calling it quits.
Although no official report has been made, RSC Director Doug Curry said Hydrations will most likely close at the end of the 2011-2012 school year.
According to Curry, the decision to eliminate Hydrations arose from a careful examination of students' needs. With many other destinations on campus selling similar food items, Curry said the small smoothie and snack stand serves little purpose.
Senior Kyle Celek, a Hydations student manager, agreed. Celek said due to low sales and inactivity, he has been instructed to send workers home on days when business is slow.
Sammy Kolton, a senior, is not surprised by Celek's remark.
"The last thing I want to do after running for an hour is chug a 1,000-calorie peanut butter smoothie," Kolton said. "I usually just stick to the water and Gatorade in the vending machines."
Curry said the school is looking to take advantage of this misused space in a way that benefits both the university and its students. Currently, Miami University is in the process of conceptualizing a design and will start working with an architect sometime in the next couple of months, Curry said.
The idea is to expand the pro shop by knocking down walls and completely redesigning the front desk area of the building. By the end of construction, the pro shop will be three times its current size, he said.
As far as the actual space where Hydrations stands now, Curry said this area will most likely be transformed into an activity room — either serving as a game center with foosball tables or a space for exercise classes.
Senior Alex Russell is thrilled about this proposition.
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"Although I am a sucker for Hydrations' freshly squeezed orange juice, I can't complain about expansion if it means having more space to exercise," Russell said. "With a 20 minute wait for most machines, the Rec could definitely use the additional room."
There is no need to worry about the lack of food, either. Although specialty drinks will likely no longer be available, Curry said 80 to 90 percent of items currently sold at Hydrations will still be for sale in the new and improved center.
Although the expansion project is still in its earliest stages, Curry said in the next few months Miami will have a better idea of both budget and design.
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