In the six months during which the Pflugerville Recreation Center temporarily closed, work has continued for Pflugerville Parks and Recreation Department staff. Beginning in mid-April, staff utilized funds from the recreation budget to give the facilities several upgrades, including new paint, an upgraded game room, concentrated senior facilities and additional computer equipment.
"When COVID hit [during] spring break, we had an opportunity where we had to shut the rec center down for a little bit, and we just kind of started to re-envision the space," Parks & Recreation Director Shane Mize said in a city video. "You know, what this place would look like—almost like a rec center 2.0."
During the first phase of reopening, which begins Sept. 25, residents will utilize the back entrance of the center, where automatic doors help promote no-contact use. Plexiglass screens surround the front desk area, and reservations are made online. Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the facility, and staff come in to sanitize between sessions on the track and within the fitness room.
The main question about reopening, Mize said, was how to best serve the city's population as they return to the recreation center. A computer lab has been added to the lobby as well as to the senior activity room, while senior-based activities have been concentrated to assist with social distancing measures.
