City officials approved the purchase of a shade structure at a June 23 meeting, where Parks and Recreation Director Rick Atkins said more of the center's amenities are coming back online as repairs progress.
"This will allow us to get that back up," Atkins said. "We're hoping to have it up sometime late next month, that way we get some time in the summertime and reduce the heat factor on both of those courts."
The fabric shade will cover the center's tennis courts, which were damaged in the storm. Atkins stated the recreation center was directly in the path of the storm, which is why it sustained so much damage.
The total cost of the shade replacement is $103,489.62 and will be paid through the general fund, although the city expects the expense to be reimbursable from insurance.
In April, the council approved contracts for the purchase of new light poles for the recreation center as some had been badly damaged by the tornado. At that time, it also approved a contract that allowed staff to more easily dispose of the large amount of brush and debris the storm left in its wake.
