The public is invited to a ribbon cutting celebration featuring the completed renovations to the John B. Norris Recreation Center.  The ceremony will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at the Norris Recreation Center located at 1050 Dunham Road on the campus of St. Charles East High School.

The center had closed after an Aug. 21 structure fire at the facility, which is located on the St. Charles East High School campus. At the time, damages were estimated at $250,000, and the facility had been closed for several months to make repairs and renovations.

The rec center has since been reopened in phases, starting with opening of tennis courts in late September and continuing with the late-October reopening of the lobby/service desk, child care, main level rest rooms, new fitness center, new mini gym, new cycle/TRX studio and group fitness classes. Regular operating hours will also resumed at that time.

For more information, visit the Norris Center website and Facebook page.

Dec. 9 Open House

Attendees of the Dec. 9 open house will be able to tour the newly-remodeled fitness center, cycling and group training studio and new mini-gym for court sports, and learn more about the infrastructure upgrades throughout the building.

Visitors to the ribbon cutting ceremony will be able to take advantage of a special one-day membership pricing offer of $25 off a one-year paid-in-full membership for an individual, family or couple.  Prize drawings will be held throughout the morning for a 1-year membership; half off a private tennis lesson; half off a junior tennis lesson; four free group fitness guest passes; a free personal training session; a free 30-minute massage; and several gift baskets.

The morning event will include several wellness-related activities such as chair massages; health assessments for blood pressure, body composition, flexibility and heart rate; fitness demonstrations for yoga, cycling and cardio activities; and tennis instructions. There will also be mini-wellness seminars held at 9:30 a.m. and noon.

Child care for the event is available at the Norris Recreation Center’s child care studio, which has also received a renovation update. Refreshments will also be available throughout the day.

New Equipment, Renovations

The renovations to the Norris Recreation Center began in May 2017 and were completed in October 2017.  The previous free-weight room and cardio rooms were closed to begin installation of a new elevator to provide improved patron access, and the creation of a storage room for recreation center equipment.

Three outdated racquetball courts were eliminated to create the new mini-gym for court activities and cycling/cardio/yoga studio.

Other remodeling projects included restoration of the lobby and child care areas, which were outfitted with new ceiling tiles, carpeting and floor tiles, as well as furniture, lockers and child care equipment. Amenities such as wall-mounted TVs in the fitness center and on some cardio machines were also installed.

Behind-the-scenes infrastructure projects included upgrading building components on the roof, electrical power panels, cleaning duct work, polishing concrete floors and painting walls and ceilings.

The renovation was overseen by The George Sollitt Construction Company of Wood Dale, Illinois.

The John B. Norris Recreation Center is managed by the St. Charles Park District in cooperation with Community Unit School District 303.

SOURCE: St. Charles Park District news release

Read More

Norris Center Closed After Aug. 21 Structure Fire at St. Charles East High School Facility