Folks looking to get in their regular game of hoops or a morning workout at two beloved local community centers will need to make alternate plans towards the tail end of November. Heard Park Community Center, at 400 McKinley Drive, along with Lay Park, at 297 Hoyt St. will be closed for gym floor maintenance from Saturday, November 23, until they reopen on Monday, December 1, at 8:00 a.m., according to city officials.
During the closure, which will span a little over a week, patrons are advised to brace themselves for an absence not just of these community hubs but also the amenities they house. The upcoming renovations are necessary evils, the type that bring with them concerns for public health and safety such as dust and heavy chemical odors, a tandem act of the sanding process and application of new finishes to the gleaming gym floors. These chemical odors who generate the need for the centers to be closed, will undoubtedly be a heavy-handed indicator that the work is underway.
The decision to close these spaces temporarily isn’t done in haste or without a deep consideration for residents who rely on the centers for recreation and communal gatherings. Eager to avoid any inconvenience, the community is encouraged to redirect their activities to other facilities during the week. The center's goers who are regulars at these centers, particularly those who weave the fabric of their social existence within these walls, might find this information to be a minor yet poignant disruption in their daily routines.
For more information, you can reach city officials at 706-613-3800. During this brief closure, the gym floors—silent without the usual sounds of sneakers, bouncing balls, and yoga mats—will be ready to welcome back the energy and stories of the community on December 1.
