Locals can lift weights, use gym space for free next month at this revamped rec center
Visitors can lift weights and shoot hoops at the Puyallup Recreation Center at no cost for two weeks after its grand reopening next month.
The city is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 14 at 808 Valley Ave. NW. The recreation center has undergone extensive renovations for the past few months, including wall and roof repairs, among other things.
To thank patrons for their patience, the recreation center is offering free drop-ins from Nov. 14-28. Visitors can play racquetball and table games, among other activities.
City spokesperson Eric Johnson told The News Tribune in March 2022 that the building’s age became more apparent around 2011-12, about 20 years after the city purchased it from the YMCA.
“The walls were beginning to rot out,” Johnson told The News Tribune. “The roof was leaking.”
This is the first time the recreation center has had an extensive renovation, according to the city’s news release. Crews repaired the building’s exterior walls and roof, repainted the walls for the racquetball and basketball courts, and installed new carpets.
The renovations cost $2.4 million. A $1 million state Department of Commerce grant helped with the cost while the rest was covered by the city’s parks capital improvements projects fund.
“I think our patrons are going to be impressed with the look of the building, inside and out. It’s going to look more modern and contemporary,” Sarah Harris, parks and recreation director, said in the city’s news release.
