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Palm Ridge renovations ahead of schedule

Improvements continue for RCSCW

Posted 6/18/21

Renovations jump ahead one week for Recreation Centers of Sun City West with improvement work.

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Palm Ridge renovations ahead of schedule

Improvements continue for RCSCW

Posted

Renovations jump ahead one week for Recreation Centers of Sun City West with improvement work.

Palm Ridge Recreation Center, 13800 W. Deer Valley Drive, parking lot began the paving process in the lot June 7. According to Karl Wihelm, Recreation Centers of Sun City West projects manager, no time has been lost in the schedule for the project, even after having to soil stabilize some of the parking lot. David Bennett, RCSCW senior facility supervisor, said the project is about one week ahead of schedule.

Work at R.H. Johnson Recreation Center, 19803 R.H. Johnson Blvd., is running into product challenges. Wilhelm said staff has met with vendors and selected colors and are waiting on the availability of the product, which he said has been a big problem.

“We are at a place to go out to bid officially and schedule it sometime in August,” Wihlem said.

Bennett said as staff moves along with the additional work in Palm Ridge, such as deep cleaning in the summer months, saves a closure staff was anticipating in August and September and that is getting completed now. He said staff is watching the progress and looking to move quick and consolidate the 5-week project into the fourth week.

Gary Cohen, 103.5 KSCW Rec Center Show radio host, asked during the June 8 radio show about overcrowding in some of the facilities due to closures. Bennett explained occupancy limits are pretty good and the goal is to not have two amenities closed down at one time, saying if one fitness room is closed, then the staff will work hard to keep the other three open.

Wilhem said after the Palm Ridge project wraps the work will shift to the lighting project inside Beardsley Recreation Center pool area, 12755 W. Beardsley Road.

“We have a vendor selected and the product is being prepared for order and that vendor has given us a heads up to expect the product by the end of July,” he explained.

The next pool area closure will likely be Beardsley for a couple of weeks. Wilhelm said staff don’t anticipate the project to go any longer 2.5 weeks. He said the R.H. Johnson floor replacements will be done in two phases. Phase one includes the fitness side of flooring, and the locker room and bathroom poolside will be phase two to ensure people have options. However, due to heavy demolition in phase two there will be a few days of closure.

“We have to get things done and it is great to have things done while the centers were shut down. Unfortunately, that was not a possibility. We try to schedule the best we can and shutting down indoor pools in the winter time and is not my favorite thing to do, but we look at what is good for summer closures and what is good for winter closures,” Bennett explained.

Wihelm described how the association faired in terms of projects during the pandemic and said seven months after material shortages and price increases have come to light. Budget planning, materials and scheduling stopped a couple projects from being completed right when facilities reopened due to shortages.

Reporter Jennifer Jimenez can be reached at jjimenez@newszap.com or follow her on Twitter @SCW_Independent.