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Rejuvenating the RAC

The RAC main entrance on 40/50 Gould street surrounded by beautiful flowering trees.

Opened in 1987, Toronto Met's unique underground Recreation and Athletics Centre (RAC) provided a then brand new 50,000 square feet of facilities.

The facility has been reimagined in ways big and small across the decades, and efforts to rejuvenate the space have taken off in recent years, with a focus on improved accessibility and student/member experience.

Keep reading for updates on current, recently completed and future projects.

 History 70-25: RAC, MAC & Kerr Hall across the years 

Current, recently completed and upcoming facility projects

Interim Change Room Improvements

Expected completion: November 2025

While we await the renovation of our main change rooms at RAC, we are working to make comfort and privacy improvements for our students and members. Opening in early November 2025, look for:

  • A new all gender change space near the RAC Customer Service Centre: Repurposing what was previously a staff change area, the new space represents an important addition of an all gender change space in the RAC for students and members, in addition to the one in nearby Kerr Hall. The new space will include private change stalls, a private shower-and-change stall, and washroom fixtures. 
  • Private change stalls on the pool deck, knowing the limitations of our current binary change rooms 

RAC Change Room Modernization

Expected completion: Pending Design Completion / Funding

The RAC change rooms are over 30 years old, and in need of updating. The design-phase of a project to create new men’s, women’s and universal change rooms began in Fall 2022 and is moving steadily forward. A construction schedule is still to be determined.

Along with modern finishes and amenities, the new design will prioritize and incorporate best practices with respect to accessibility and inclusion of trans, non-binary and gender diverse members of our community.

Members and students can expect opportunities to engage in the design process in Winter 2023 which will be inclusive to all members of the RAC facilities. Please email recreation@torontomu.ca if you have questions or feedback.

  • Update, Summer 2023: After several months of stakeholder engagement, including focus groups and surveys, preliminary design plans and a project budget have been generated for the RAC change room modernization project. Efforts are currently underway to secure funding so that the project can move forward to the next phase, which is the development of a detailed, construction-ready design.
  • Update, Fall 2025: The project is moving forward with more detailed design development, site inspections, etc. This current phase of work, to be completed across the 2025/26 school year will put the project into 'shovel ready' mode, at which point a funding plan and construction schedule will be set.
Early design layout featuring single gender and universal change rooms

Recently Completed

New Welcome Lounge: Fall 2025

When the RAC opened in 1987, there was more space to congregate and connect before and after getting active. It was slowly repurposed over the last 30 years to provide necessary student-staff and office space. The arrival of the MAC in 2012 eased some of the limits on space, and plans are now in development to recreate space for students and members to stay, study and connect before and after they get active. One thing that will be different than 1987? WiFi, for one! Learn more about the opening of the new space...

Fire Alarm System Upgrades: Spring 2024

The RAC's fire alarm system is being modernized along with the system in Kerr Hall.  New alarms and strobes improve the experience and accessibility. The change also includes a shift to a 2-stage alarm, which reduces the impact of false alarms. 

Men's Change Room Improvements: Winter 2024

The RAC men’s change room was upgraded in Winter 2024 to improve privacy and comfort of all users. The upgrades included new privacy partitions in the shower area (previously there were none) and improvements to the adjacent private change/shower stall.

Customer Service & Administration Centre: Fall 2022

A project to modernize the RAC customer service and administrative centre, located near the front entrance. The project's focus is on accessibility, improved service and increasing student space. The renovated centre will include a bookable meeting room for student groups as well as student-staff workspaces. Relocated office spaces will make way for the addition of new student/member lounge and study space to come in a future project (see 'Future Projects' below for details). 

Accessible North Entrance: Summer 2022

While the south entrance will be considerably improved in terms of accessibility, lighting and safety, the historical facade and underground design will continue to pose accessibility challenges for visitors using certain mobility aids. In light of these limitations, work has been completed to improve the accessibility of the RAC north entrance, including widening narrow entry points and upgrading wayfinding signage. 

Exterior South Entrance: Summer 2022

  • Interiour stairs removed and rebuilt with improved waterproofing and accessibility features; Exterior stairs rebuilt with heritage stone finish
  • Security dividers installed in entry way to improve safety and comfort
  • New lighting installed to improve accessibility, safety and comfort
  • Digital signage installed to bring awareness to the underground facility and share information with students and the broader community
  • New glazing (glass) installed on atrium and landscaping improvements

Past Highlights

Service Requests

If you have a service request or notice something in our facilities that needs maintenance/ repair or our attention, please contact us.

RAC Facilities : fixrac@torontomu.ca

MAC Facilities : fixthemac@torontomu.ca

This helps us track areas for improvement as well as keep our buildings in optimum condition.