After nearly seven months of renovation, the Malkin Athletic Center (MAC) could reopen by as early as the end of the month, a representative of the athletic department said yesterday.

Associate Director of Athletics Jeremy L. Gibson expressed optimism about the progress of the construction, which began in March—displacing five varsity teams and causing an uproar among students when it was unexpectedly announced last fall.

“We’re actually very close to the initial projections on the duration of this project,” he said during a tour of the facility yesterday. “It’s still falling within that six to seven-month time frame that we were hoping to achieve.”

Shift schedules have already been sent to undergraduate employees to begin work within the next several weeks, according to Hilary L. Lewis ’08, who worked at the MAC until the renovations began.

The renovations were designed to improve “life safety” and accessibility, Gibson said.

Among the new installments are a sprinkler system, a modern elevator large enough to fit a gurney, and a cushioned gym floor with a sprung system that minimizes joint injuries. In addition, the ceiling above the pool was replaced due to damage, all the plumbing was upgraded, energy-efficient lighting was added, and the locker rooms were fitted with tiling and stall showers.

A ramp was also built at the front entrance for handicap access, making the building compliant with the regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Before the renovation, “the systems were bad, the infrastructure was failing,” Gibson said, citing sewer leakage, fire safety concerns, accessibility issues, and electrical failures.

For instance, the electrical circuit fuses blew if all of the treadmills were being used simultaneously, Gibson said.

The look of the gymnasium itself, though, should be familiar.

“One of the things that’s great about this facility is that it’s a throw-back gymnasium, similar to the gymnasium at Hemenway,” Gibson said. “What we’ve tried to do is make it look how it looked before.”

The design also acknowledges students’ desire for a social gathering place: the entry area will be transformed into a lounge with carpeting and furniture.

The construction project is the second phase of a major renovation of the MAC, the University’s main recreational facility built in 1930. The first phase, in 2004, addressed primarily “programmatic” issues, Gibson said.

In that renovation, the MAC added a glassed-in balcony, a spinning room, and doubled the size of the weight room, but no major structural work was undertaken.

Only minor finish work remains before final inspections can take place and the facility can open its doors to students.

“There’s still a fair amount of work to do, but there’s been an awful lot of work done in the past few weeks,” Gibson said. Workers have already begun to install cardio equipment and line the stairwells with “wet paint” signs.

Other recreational facilities that had opened temporarily during the renovation—such as in the Gordon Track and the Wigglesworth Hall basement—have been shut down in anticipation of the MAC’s reopening.

“The space at Wigg was very popular and well-received,” Gibson said, “so we’ll work with other people at the College to see if that’s a place we’ll want to return to exercise.”