As the sun sets, the users of the Coppell Aquatic and Recreation (CORE) find themselves exiting the facility, walking further than normal to reach their cars. With the ongoing construction, the parking lot is one of the areas in the CORE that is being renovated.

The front desk and lobby remodeling began on Nov. 4 and the Fitness Center Desk acts as the new temporary front desk. Due to the construction, an alternate entrance to the CORE is located on the east side of the building near the fitness courtyard.

Starting Dec. 2, the bridge connecting the facility to the parking lot has been closed for reconstruction and the parking lot is closed as well. However, parking is available at the parking lot of Andrew Brown East.

“They are making the pedestrian bridge a little wider and are just updating it, and lobby-wise, [the construction] should be done at the end of January and the bridge should be done at the end of February,” customer service attendant Alexis Pope said. 

After being temporarily relocated, Studio 2 classes have returned to their original location.

“It’s one of our slower parts of the year, and so they decided to go ahead [with the construction] now and they are just updating and renovating,” Pope said. 

Coppell High School senior Hannah Sigler, who is a swim instructor at CORE, has seen the construction increase foot traffic within the pool area.

“Since I work in aquatics, the pool hasn’t necessarily changed, however the outdoor entrances that you need to take to go inside the CORE have been altered,” Sigler said. “So now, people are coming in through the gym and to get out sometimes you have to walk through the pool so sometimes there has been more traffic around the pool area.”

The parking lot has also witnessed an increase in traffic.

“There are not many street lamps so [the parking lot] is dark, and as it gets darker earlier, it makes it busier as kids are also walking around,” Sigler said. “I’ve seen sometimes that people have to be more careful when they are driving.”

Last winter, the tile of the pool and the floor was redone and the walls were repainted. The outdoor pool was also recemented, and the slides were repainted.

“I don’t really know what’s in store for what the design of the CORE will look like, but if it goes any way that our pool has gone, it would be really nice because the indoor pool and the outdoor pool both got brighter colors and look more modern, and I think that that’s the same color scheme and design they are going for throughout the rest of the facility,” Sigler said.

CHS senior Santi Ceniceros utilizes the CORE facility often. He has found that the distance between the parking lot and entrance is a hindrance. However, he looks forward to the renovations.

“I definitely [would like to see] more machines and a more expanded gym,” Ceniceros said.