Renovations at Henderson Recreation Centre are forging ahead and should be completed by late April.
“There’s still a bit of work to do so I’m not sure whether we’ll meet that date, but that’s our target,” said parks and recreation director Ray Herman.
Yet to be completed is some work in the fitness studio, the washrooms and in front of the building, including pouring new sidewalks and some landscaping. Most of the job left is finishing work.
Once the renovations are complete, visitors will notice the stretching area has been relocated to the fitness studio, which will be larger and brighter than before.
A new reception area, including an entrance with double doors, will greet patrons, helping to keep heat in and energy bills down. The muffin nook has also been expanded, with more room for the programming that takes place there.
“Those are the main things that the general public will notice first off,” Herman said.
While everything has gone relatively smoothly, there have been some challenges, Herman said.
One was the discovery of some hazardous materials which had to be properly and safely removed. This took time and added cost to the project. The finance department found funding to cover the cost, and with that in place the overall project is currently under budget.
“The relief will be that we don’t have to worry about that anymore, that we have a new facility that’s finished, open and people can come and enjoy it,” Herman said. “We’re looking forward to that.”
A grand opening is in the works for some time in early to mid May.