Thank you for being a valued RecWell member. We appreciate you being part of the RecWell community and look forward to serving your recreation and well-being needs.  We are writing to inform you of some changes in facility usage that impact the use of our facilities at the MCV Campus Recreation Center located in the Larrick Student Center. The decision to make these changes was difficult, but ultimately we need to make these adjustments in order to be good stewards of university resources and to provide the best service possible to our RecWell members. 

There are two major changes we have made that impact the members who use the MCV Campus Recreation Center.

First, we have closed the basketball courts, along with the spaces that are accessed through the courts.  This includes the racquetball and squash courts, cycle studio, and group exercise studio and the universal bathroom. The HVAC system that services the basketball courts is no longer operational and the replacement cost is prohibitive. Members who use the courts available for basketball, squash, and racquetball can utilize our courts located in the Cary Street Gym.  The group exercise and cycle studios have been relocated to the first floor next to the Power Training Room.

Additionally, we have closed the aquatic center and aquatic locker rooms. This decision stems from the combined factors of:

-- a national lifeguard shortage making it difficult to properly staff two locations
-- rising maintenance and operating costs, and
-- lower facility usage at the MCV Campus Aquatic Center. 

We welcome members who used this location to utilize the pools at our location in the Cary Street Gym.

Members will still have access to:

-- the fitness center
-- locker rooms
-- and the power lifting room

We will continue to offer personal training and massage therapy services at the MCV Recreation Center as well.

We also encourage members to take advantage of their access to the Cary Street. Gym. The Cary Street Gym features approximately 20,000 square feet of cardio and weight equipment, an aquatic center that includes two pools and a spa, cycle studio, group exercise studio, Mind/Body studio, four courts that can be used for basketball and other activities, two racquetball courts, a multi-activity center, and an indoor track.   

The following spaces at the MCV Campus Recreation Center will permanently close: 

• Aquatic Center and aquatic locker rooms
• Courts and spaces accessed through the courts, including: 
  • Racquetball and squash courts
  • Cycle studio
  • Group exercise studio
  • Universal Bathroom

Spaces that will remain open include:

• Fitness center, FIT Room, and the main locker rooms.  We still also continue to offer personal training and massage therapy services.  
• We are exploring the possibility of renovating an existing space to accommodate group exercise classes. 

There were many factors that contributed to this decision, including the increasing costs associated with operating and maintaining these spaces, usage patterns, and a nation-wide lifeguard shortage.

Yes.  RecWell memberships provide access to all RecWell facilities, programs, and services on both the MCV and the Monroe Park campuses. 

RecWell has converted a space on the first floor to accommodate group exercise and cycle classes. The space is available to members for informal use whenever a class isn’t scheduled.  The space is located next to the F.I.T. Room.

When will the space be closed?

The Aquatic Center will be closed from June 17 to June 30, 2024. The spa (hot tub) will remain closed an additional 14 days and will reopen on July 15, 2024.

What spaces will be impacted?

The entire Aquatic Center will be closed, including the leisure pool, activity pool, hot tub, and pool deck. The locker rooms will remain open for use. Classes scheduled in the Wet Classroom will proceed as scheduled.

Why is this happening?

Our Facility Maintenance team and our Aquatics & Safety team will be working together with our pool contractors to complete a combination of routine maintenance, preventative maintenance, facility repairs, and deep cleaning throughout the aquatic center. Projects being completed include:

• Resurfacing the spa plaster
• Cleaning the plaster in both the leisure pool and activity pool
• Replacing and regrouting damaged tiles
• Preventative maintenance to the pumps and filtration systems for all three pools, including replacement of outdated components
• Cleaning of the pumps and filtration systems for all three pools
• Annual deep cleaning of the aquatic center

What impact will this have on aquatic programs, like swimming lessons?

Swimming lessons will still be available this summer, although the schedule will be altered to account for the maintenance closure.

• Adult swim classes:
• May 21 - June 13, Tue/Thr at 6:05-7:00pm
• July 15 - August 7, Mon/WEd at 6:05-7:00pm
• Children’s swim classes:
• June 3 - 13, Mon-Thr at 5:30-6:00pm (Preschool 1, 2, and 3)
• July 13 - August 3, Saturdays at 9:30-10:00am or 10:15-10:45am (Parent/Child, Preschool 1, 2 [9:30am only], and 3 [10:15am only])
• July 15 - 25, Mon-Thr at 5:30-6pm (Preschool 1 and 2)
• Private swimming lessons:
• Due to instructor availability, we are not accepting new private lesson clients at this time. Current clients who wish to renew their package should contact aquatics@vcu.edu for information on the renewal process.
• CPR classes:
• CPR classes scheduled in the Wet Classroom will proceed as scheduled.

Can I get a refund for my membership due to the pools being closed?

Unfortunately, we cannot offer membership refunds, extensions, or credits due to this closure. RecWell membership applies to all of our facilities, and we do not refund or extend memberships due to a specific area being unavailable.

1) The Climbing wall will be under renovation from May 13th - Fall 2024. 

2) From May 13th until mid August, fitness floor space next to the climbing wall area will be closed for contractor staging. This area will be roped off and inaccessible to participants at this time. We have relocated some of the equipment, but many items will be offline until the space reopens in August.

3) Throughout the installation of the climbing wall there will be construction noises within the Cary Street Gym Facility. We are working with contractors to conduct work that produces the most noise when the facility is closed or when we see low capacity within the building. 

4) This project will affect parking on Linden St., Cherry St. and Cary St. periodically throughout the project. 

5) For more information regarding the scope of the climbing wall project visit the Cary Street Gym Climbing Wall Page.