Corporation Allows $166,000 of Surplus to Gymnasium Relief

"Voted to use $166,000 of the reserve funds of the Harvard Athletic Association for permanent steel trusses in the new gymnasium."

Responding to the petition of the H. A. A. authorities on behalf of the gymnasium the vote of the corporation allowing for the erection of one more floor was announced yesterday. The sum of $166,000 will practically complete the second floor of the athletic building wherein the great majority of the minor activities will find a place. At present the plans call for fencing, boxing, and wrestling rooms, as well as several free rooms for corrective exercising, and general classes.

Relieves Burden

The proposed construction relieves the burden of both the architect and the Athletic Association since the expense involved in constructing a temporary roof at the former stage of operations is very much reduced. The $700,000 previously subscribed provided for construction up to the first floor, and included locker room facilities and the swimming pool.

Up to this point however, little of the vast amount of steel that is necessary to the completed building would have been used, only 20,000 tons of steel construction being necessary below the second story level. The second story is composed largely of steel, the trusses being the foundation of support for the upper reaches of the building as well as a central factor in tieing up the construction previous to this point.

Saving of $46,000

To erect a temporary roof upon the conclusion of the first floor would therefore necessitate a large amount of steel, to bear the strain that will now be undertaken by the permanent trusses. The cost of a temporary roof over the first floor was estimated by the architects at $46,000, a figure which was unusually large because of the expensive material that must be included in even such a temporary structure.

The total sum of $46,000 would subsequently be scrapped when the operations were resumed. The present allowance of the Corporation removes the necessity of such a development, thus saving the Athletic Association most of the $46,000 that would have been required by the temporary roof.

Indoor Equipment Insured

A roof of much less expensive materials will now be superimposed upon the trusses of the second floor and with the completed developments, the gymnasium will at least include complete facilities for fencing, wrestling and similar indoor activities as well as increased locker equipment.

Announcement was also made of the plans of the Athletic Association for next year. According to officials of the H. A. A. $225,000 will be expended for permanent improvements. This sum will provide for the steel-stands in the end of the stadium at a cost of $170,000, stands on the running track at a cost of $28,000, repairs to the Stadium and the grounds amounting to approximately $10,000, the expense totalling to about $8,000 of moving the old cage to make room for the new stands, and the remainder to improvements of a miscellaneous nature, such as the upkeep and repair of the squash courts.