Despite the various spaces that each Peddie team utilizes, all athletes share one common space: the Fitness Center. Starting in November, the space will undergo heavy renovations to prepare and revamp it for the future of Peddie Athletics, ultimately resulting in the Zhao Li Family Fitness & Exercise Center. The renovation, however, has been in the works since the early 2000s and continues the original makeover of the Ian H. Graham ’51 Athletic Center that took place between 2007 – 2010. 

Originally housing the Sprout Pool for over 30 years, a decision was made in the early 2000s to overhaul the Athletic Center. One of the modifications was building a new aquatic center and remodeling the old pool into a new gym space for Peddie students. However, when the renovation started, the financial crisis of 2008 hit, forcing the school to make budget cuts and scrap the two-floor plan of the new gym. Assistant Head of Finance and Operations Sanjeev Puri said, “After the situation stabilized, we started planning again for us to be able to expand that space.” It’s taken around 12 years to restructure the plans and begin anew. 

The renovation will include a redesign of the gym and other new features and spaces. The new two-floor restructuring of the fitness center is the centerpiece of the renovation. It is designed to help ease congestion within the room, especially in the winter, with general fitness PA and varsity sports sharing the space. The new structure will have a ground floor dedicated to strength training and high-performance equipment for sports teams, while the second floor will be headlined by cardio machines and a “slightly more relaxed environment,” according to Puri. Both floors will also be air-conditioned for the first time.

Along with a new gym, the revamped area will include a multipurpose space for dance, yoga and other activities. A new, state-of-the-art indoor golf facility featuring a modern simulator will replace the old, “dysfunctional” one near the Von. Another renovation feature will be a new erg room dedicated to the crew team. 

The total cost for the renovation is approximately 7.5 million dollars, with an additional budget for new equipment and furnishings not included. Most of the funds will come from multiple donors, with the school pitching in one million dollars of its funds. The renovation will begin around Thanksgiving and wrap up when school reopens in 2024.