Unalaska’s basketball players are out of luck until August. The community center gym is closed while the floor gets resurfaced.
“There’s never a good time to do it," said Nick Cron, operations manager for the Department of Parks, Culture, and Recreation. "You can do it in the summer when there’s not as many people or the winter when school’s out and we’re not as busy. This time it’s going to be during the summer.”
Cron said workers will sand down the current surface before applying the coat that makes the floor look shiny.
He said it’s also possible the entire community center may shut down for a few days because of the caustic fumes.
“In the past, we have had to close down all of the community center," Cron said. "It usually happens after they put down the coat and we have to close all the windows for the night, so the smell has nowhere to go. The next day, when we come in, it can be pretty overwhelming.”
Some years, the PCR uses the high school gym to continue programming like pick-up basketball. But Cron said that’s not happening this summer.
“That can be tricky because no one’s at the school at this time," Cron said. "We don't have the staff to bring people over there.”
Pick-up soccer will still continue at Tutiakoff Field, while the rainy-day location for the parks program moves to the PCR kids’ room instead of the gym.
Cron said resurfacing the floor will make it last longer. It’s treated every 18 months or so, though patrons can help extend that longevity by minding their footwear. It was last resurfaced in December 2015.
“If you don’t wear your outdoor shoes, that is good for the floor," Cron said. "You can see spots here where people wear shoes that are not meant to be on a gym room floor, and that contributes to the wear.”
Cron expects the gym to reopen August 7th when resurfacing is complete.
