The city of Arnold has started lining up projects to improve the Arnold Recreation Center, but with more projects still needed, it is unknown when work will begin on the facility at 1695 Missouri State Road.
City Council members voted 7-0 on Dec. 1 to pay a total of $869,883 to have the building’s roof replaced and new flooring installed in its three meeting rooms. Ward 1 Councilman EJ Fleischmann was absent from the meeting.
Shay Roofing of Millstadt, Ill., was awarded the $809,908 roofing contract, and CI Flooring of St. Louis will be paid $59,975 for the flooring project. Shay submitted the lowest of three bids, and CI Flooring was the only company to bid on the flooring project, City Administrator Bryan Richison said.
The roof and floor projects are two of 14 projects the city plans to complete at the rec center using funds from a $2,404,500 lease-purchase agreement with Commerce Bank that council members approved on Aug. 25 by a 7-1 vote. Ward 3 Councilman Rodney Mullins voted no.
Arnold officials also plan to replace two pool paks – large dehumidifiers above the pool area – as well as the steps to the indoor pool’s slide, pulse boilers and other equipment throughout the building.
Richison said because the other projects are still being finalized, a start date for the work on the roof and meeting room flooring has not been determined.
“If we can get the different mechanical, roof and construction projects lined up, it may be a situation where we shut the building down for a week or so to try to get it all done, or nearly done, at once, instead of having shutdowns here and there,” he said. “With that much going on at one time, it would make sense to close the whole building down.”
Richison said the rec center, which opened in 2005, has needed a new roof for a long time.
He said the roof leaks in some offices, and some structural repairs are needed over the pool area.
“It has been put off because we were looking for other ways to do it while avoiding financing it,” he said. “It has reached a point where there are enough problems with the building that we needed to do what it took to get it done.”
Richison said removing carpet from the meeting rooms, which also are used for exercise classes, will make those areas better for customers and easier for the staff to keep clean.
“The carpet is in decent shape, but there is only so much you can do to get it clean,” he said. “It also is just over concrete and not very cushioned. It is a pretty tough surface to exercise on.”
The new floors will be made of a synthetic material and be placed over a cushioned surface, Richison said.
“It is like a synthetic running track, kind of rubbery and cushioned,” he said. “It is not the same type of material, but it is a similar concept with a rubbery surface that has cushion under it.”
Richison also said city officials hope the new floors will make rec center classes more appealing for customers.
“One of the things that we have been trying to be more competitive with private gyms is classes,” he said. “When we did the rate changes (in April 2021), we looked at the competition, and classes were something that were a big draw. Hopefully, this will make our classes a little more attractive with them being done on a better service.
“We are trying to make it a more inviting place for people to come to and keep our membership up. It will be a nicer area.”