While the swimming pool and community center remain closed for maintenance, Wrangell's Parks and Recreation Department announced that the weight room and cardio equipment have reopened, but with reduced hours.

The department announced last week that the weight room, court and cardio equipment were to reopen Monday, June 9, with limited hours: Monday through Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; an early evening session on Tuesdays, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.; and Saturdays, 7 a.m. to noon.

Parks and Recreation Director Lucy Robinson said the lobby restrooms will be open, but the locker rooms, pool deck and sauna closure will extend through July. This will allow the department to address critical repairs and maintenance on aging equipment.

The pool also is closed for maintenance.

The extensive list of projects includes fire panel and sprinkler system maintenance, pool basement piping replacement, chlorination cell replacement, pool deck and pool gutters acid wash, heat-exchanger replacement, heating and ventilation system maintenance, locker repair and painting, weight room deep clean, carpet cleaning, and grout and tile cleaning.

The annual maintenance work is taking longer than had been expected when the closure started on May 5. The hope had been to reopen the weight room and other community center facilities by late May.

Robinson noted that several maintenance projects are still in progress, and individuals may notice tools, materials and supplies in various areas of the building.

"Refurbishing the lockers has taken longer than expected due to extensive rust," Robinson said in an email to the community on June 5.

"The grinding, sanding and paint prep required for this work has been especially tedious and time-consuming," she said.

The Parks and Recreation Department stated on social media that staff will not be answering phones during the closure, as all team members are engaged in project work.