Construction on the sand volleyball court in the Southwest Quad began last week, and is slated for completion in early December.

The project was announced earlier this month as part of an initiative led by the Campus Life Working Group to create new recreation opportunities in underutilized spaces. The $86,000 court was funded entirely through donations from the Student Activities Commission, the Advisory Board for Club Sports and the Pisano family. It has also received support from the Georgetown University Student Association.

GUSA Secretary of Space Connor Maytnier (COL ’17) said the new court will significantly improve the use of open space on the SWQ.

“In the past, the open space has primarily been used as a diagonal cross walk. The grass was always dead, it looked awful and the space was never used for any specific purposes,” Maytnier said. “The new court will finally make the Southwest Quad a true social gathering space for students.”

Maytnier said the court will be open to all students, potentially by appointment with the SWQ Residence Hall Office.

“Anyone will be able to use the space. We are still working out the details as to whether or not the court will actually be reservable for periods of time,” Maytnier said. “We will have volleyballs on hand at the Southwest Quad RHO that students can check out using their GOCard.”

According to Advisory Board for Club Sports Chair Lucy Gibson (COL ’15), ABCS donated $12,000 to the project from their reserve account.

“The board felt it would better the campus and serve the community in a way that aligned with the spirit of club sports at Georgetown,” Gibson said. “It will transform an underutilized area on campus to a more dynamic space for students to hang out and play volleyball outside.”

Vice President for Planning and Facilities Management Robin Morey said the construction will have minimal impact on students living in the SWQ, with no noisy work to begin before 9 a.m.

“Construction impacts on students are expected to be minimal,” Morey wrote in an email. “Noise levels are expected to be minimal.”

In addition to the volleyball court, a grilling area was recently added to the SWQ to enhance the outdoor community and social space.

“The overall vision when we started this initiative in October 2013 was to transform the quad into a premier gathering space,” Maytnier said. “In the coming months, I hope to secure more seating options for the quad so that we can truly complete our initial goal.”

Southwest Quad resident Jenny Xiao (MSB ’17) said that she does not expect the court to be used often.

“It seems like a pretty random decision. I don’t think that volleyball is popular among students here, so I doubt it’ll be used much,” Xiao said. “Also, it can’t be used during the winter, so it’s a bit of a waste of space.”