Working to ‘restore normalcy’ at the Rec Center

“We’re doing everything we can to rebuild our facilities,” said Recreation Department Commissioner Bob Piazza of efforts to fully restore the Recreation Center following Hurricane Sandy.

More than six months after Sandy devastated Long Beach, Piazza and city officials continue to work to rebuild the Rec Center, at 660 on Magnolia Blvd. Piazza said that the entire building was flooded with four feet of water, and that the storm destroyed most of the facility’s equipment and office resources, and storm water contaminated its pool.

The damage resulted in a number of setbacks, many of which officials are working to address. In the storm’s aftermath, the building had to be properly sanitized and treated for mold, and much of its equipment was disposed of due to damages. To date, the facility’s steam room remains closed for repairs, and its pool is closed while major renovations continue to repair its locker room and filter system. Piazza said he anticipates those sections of the building to be ready by early September.

The center’s Ice Arena, meanwhile, which was under construction with limited services, held its grand reopening on May 18 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. For months, the arena served as the center of the city’s disaster relief and recovery operations, where donations from around the country were distributed to residents. Piazza, who noted that only junior hockey resumed in February at the arena, said that public skating and other activities will now be available. “It’s open to the public,” he said. “Is it perfect? No, but it’s usable. It’s safe, and it’s open.”

Despite these challenges, Piazza said that important progress has been made in getting the building back on track. New gym equipment, including weights, ellipticals, training bicycles, and treadmills, were purchased for the facility. The cardio and weight rooms at the center are open throughout the week, he said, and though the center’s pool is temporarily out of order, swimming is available at Long Beach High School’s pool on Monday and Wednesday nights, and on Saturday mornings.