By Michael Butler

Whether its basketball or pickleball, the Tallassee Recreation Center is seeing more customers these days. Director Eric Phillips addressed the City Council on Tuesday regarding the substantial increase in floor traffic and memberships.

According to Phillips, the tracking system indicated that there were over 8,000 check-ins over the past fiscal year.

“I don’t think anybody knew how much the place is being used,” Phillips said. “With the new software, you can really see. I think this year we’ll probably hit the 12,000 mark.”

Phillips noted that the numbers prior to last year were far less, but there was no system for keeping counts of daily traffic.

Memberships have increased from 122 on Oct. 1, 2023 to 417 today.

“96 of those were from Christmas day to Tuesday,” Phillips added. “A lot of those were probably New Year’s resolutions.”

Upgrades to weight room equipment might have aided the boost in numbers, though many who use the facility are involved in programs like aerobic and dance classes.

Annual membership dues are $120 for individuals and $175 for families.

“When we get the new rec center, we’re hoping we can keep that same price,” Phillips said. “If it does go up, it will be minimal.”

Plans are still to build a new facility behind the existing center which will double the size of the old armory that has served the rec department for nearly 50 years.

“The building we currently have is 15,000 square feet. The new one will be around 30,000. We’ll have two gyms, a conference room and two cardio rooms. They just did the core boring to test the soil.”

The property behind the recreation center that houses the city shop is the proposed location for the new rec center.

“They’re still working on getting the city shop moved,” said Phillips. “We can’t do anything until that shop gets a new home.”

Approximately $10 million has been allocated from Elmore County lodging taxes for projects in Tallassee. The first is turf work at J.E. “Hot” O”Brien Stadium, right next door to the rec center.

According to Tallassee City Schools Superintendent Dr. Brock Nolin, the estimate for laying prescription grass on the game and practice fields is $2.3 million, leaving the remainder for the new recreation facility.