GREEN RIVER — Staff at the Green River Recreation Center have made use of their extra time with business on hold due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus. Visitors to the recreation center can expect to enjoy new renovations which have taken place since being closed down.
The building which hosts Green River residents for recreational activities was built in 1986. Each year the recreation center shuts down for a two-week period, typically in August. During that time the staff works on building maintenance and needed renovations on the 34-year-old building. This year, that shut down came sooner than expected, but the staff has been busy at work.
From the pool to the gym, there have been several upgrades in most parts of the building. The most noticeable change is the front desk which had a brand new countertop put on along with a fresh coat of paint. According to the staff, the project took about a week to complete from start to finish.
Those itching to play pool or ping pong will also appreciate the new upgrades the recreation center made. The staff worked to refelt the top and replaced the guts of the pool table. As for the ping pong table, a new table top was replaced due to the worn condition of the previous table.
Swimmers will also notice a few differences in the pool area. The bright blue non-skid safety coating that runs along the sides of the pool was given a new coat to help avoid slipping and sliding. Locker rooms were also given new coats of the safety coating.
Staff also fixed a huge crack in the hot tub pool that they discovered was deeper than they originally thought. The crack has been filled in and the tile replaced.
The heater for the pool area was removed. The old heater was taken out and filled in with concrete blocks and painted.
Just outside of the pool is an outdoor patio that was cleaned up. Before, it wasn’t used for much other than storage for some old benches that had rusted.
The plan is to open up the area and rent it out for pool parties or birthdays. A barbecuer and other seating will be placed in the area too. General use is still being considered, but regardless the staff hope to see the area occupied during the warmer months.
Downstairs, the gymnasium and racquet ball courts were refinished. Refinishing the floors was quite a process. The job took staff about a week and a half to finish, but the courts are ready for use.
Among some of the other renovations were new paint jobs for cubby-holes and the hallway walls. The carpet was also replaced in the elevator and exit signs were replaced throughout the building.
This week, the staff will be working on the last planned project, which will require some landscaping. The plan is to lay brick and then add grass and flowers out front. The project has been started and is expected to be finished by the end of this week if all goes according to plan.
The work has been hard, but the staff is eager to reopen the recreation center once again and welcome their guests to some new additions. As for shutting down in August, it’s very unlikely that a two-week shut down will occur considering most of the work has been done during the last month.
