The Joyner Park Community Center will be closed for several weeks beginning Friday, March 13, so crews can re-stripe and re-finish the gymnasium floor.
Tuesday Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Director Ruben Wall said, “The goal was to install as many pickleball courts as possible on the gym floor at the new JPCC to accommodate for the increase in the demand and popularity of the sport.”
He went on with a full explanation. “Once we started using the floor we realized that the current striping configurations make it impossible for more than two pickleball games to be held at the same time. In addition, there were issues with the striping of the lanes for the basketball courts. The re-striping is necessary to allow for three simultaneous pickleball games and address the issues with the basketball courts. Re-striping the courts should be a one-time occurrence, however, the floor will have to be refinished periodically much like we have done over the years at Flaherty Park Community Center.“
The walking track and fitness room, along with the Joyner Park Community Center administrative offices, are scheduled to reopen Monday, March 30, at 6 a.m., while the gym will reopen Saturday, April 4, at 8 a.m.
Although work inside the center will be restricted to the gym only, the closure of the entire facility from March 13 to March 30 is necessary due to fumes that will be produced by the finish applied to the floor. Only protected workers following OSHA guidelines for their safety will be allowed inside the center during this period.
Situated in E. Carroll Joyner Park, 701 Harris Road, the 32,000-square-foot community center houses the staff offices for the Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department.
From March 13 through March 29, the parks and rec staff will be temporarily reassigned to other Town facilities, including the Wake Forest Town Hall, 301 S. Brooks St., Alston-Massenburg Center, 416 N. Taylor St., and Flaherty Park Community Center, 1226 N. White St. These facilities will continue to operate according to their normal schedules.
On weekdays from March 13 through March 29, rental reservations typically taken at the Joyner Park Community Center will be accepted at Town Hall between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. These rental reservations include the Wake Forest Community House and E. Carroll Joyner Park, along with Town picnic shelters and greenways. For more information, call 919-435-9560.
The re-striping and re-finishing of the gym floor is part of the warranty on the new community center and will not cost the Town of Wake Forest any additional funds. The initiative was scheduled to begin at the conclusion of basketball season and coincide with a slowdown in scheduled indoor activities.
For more information, contact JPCC Manager Cindi King at 919-435-9557 or cking@wakeforestnc.gov.
