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In The News - Eureka Recreation Center (2 Articles)

HOW THE BENEFITS OF A NEW GYM FLOOR EXTEND BEYOND ITS EDGES

ATLANTA, GA, DECEMBER 21, 2004 - The official October re-opening was billed as the "Eureka Recreation Center Gymnasium Dedication." The event celebrated the Roanoke, VA center's numerous improvements "including the new gymnasium floor and recreation opportunities."

The 39-year-old facility needed updating and in a major team effort Eureka's recreation specialist together with the City of Roanoke Parks & Recreation and Facilities departments undertook key renovations. The most visible of the numerous improvements is the brand new 7,200 square foot gymnasium floor with Taraflex Sport Flooring by Gerflor. The Taraflex Sport M Maple Design floor with blue basketball and white volleyball game lines was installed mid summer. It replaces a vinyl asbestos tile floor dating from 1965.

A newly paved parking lot, new kitchen appliances, freshly applied interior paint and a repaired roof combined with the new gym floor to have an immediate impact. "My rentals have increased tremendously," says Eureka's very pleased Recreation Specialist Robin Murphy-Kelso. She notes sports team and community group rentals include an indoor soccer team whose practices have jumped from two to three times a week and group rehearsals for an upcoming cotillion. On Saturday afternoons, more than 150 young adults converge on Eureka to play basketball in its new gym.

Murphy-Kelso devoted time to finding the right gym floor. "I had seen Taraflex at another facility in the area and really liked it. I talked to the people there and was impressed with the floor's durability. I ran on it, jumped on it, walked on it."

But she didn't rely just on her own instincts. Along with her assistant, Murphy-Kelso attended a Roanoke Parks & Recreation Conference last year. After individually visiting all the sports flooring displays, the two compared notes to find out both of them preferred Taraflex. Then they presented flooring samples to a larger group, asking some of the center's 1,500 intergenerational regulars who play basketball, run and walk in the gym for their opinions. This group also selected Taraflex. Other staff members visited the nearby Oakland Baptist Church for their own evaluations of the Taraflex floor and came back impressed.

"The players wanted a wood look but they wanted something durable and comfortable for their knees and legs when running," says Murphy-Kelso adding, "This (floor) they seemed to be very impressed with."

Even though she knew the demand was for the Taraflex floor, Murphy-Kelso followed her department's guidelines and bid the gym floor with standard specifications including the type of material preferred. Taraflex was the only brand that met the specifications.

"Thanks to Taraflex Sport M's built-in comfort and performance, we anticipate it will contribute to Eureka's growing popularity as word spreads of the facility's new look and its expanded programs," says Stephane Leudet, Gerflor national sales manager.

Warthan Associates of Hopewell, VA installed the Taraflex floor with a Taraflex Isolsport moisture barrier under it .

In addition to the full-sized gym, the Eureka Recreation Center includes a game room, kitchen, craft/club room and lobby. Its outdoor basketball and tennis courts, playground and ball field are part of 14.9 park acres. The center, operated by the City of Roanoke Parks & Recreation Department, offers day camp programs, after-school programs with computer help, homework assistance, games and field trips.

All Taraflex synthetic floors are designed for safety and comfort. Taraflex Sport M is 6.7 millimeters (.264 inches) thick to provide support and shock absorption. Sport M comes in 17 colors including Maple and Oak designs. Taraflex's multi-layered construction includes 100% pure vinyl, reinforced fiberglass mesh and closed-cell foam backing to provide shock absorption, help fight fatigue and deliver consistent ball bounce. Product treatments Sanosol® and Protecsol® prevent bacteria growth and resist scuff marks and common stains. Taraflex Isolsport is 1.5 millimeters (1/16") thick and water resistant with an insulating fiberglass underlay that blocks moisture.

The Taraflex Sports Flooring line includes Taraflex Sport M, Taraflex Sport 3D, Taraflex Sport Performance, Taraflex Sport Plus, Taraflex Leisure, Taraflex Surface, Taraflex Actionsport 45, Taraflex Track, Taraflex Tennis and Taraflex Bateco. Taraflex floors meet and exceed the stringent performance standards mandated by all major flooring associations.

Shine returns to Roanoke Recreation Center

By Duncan Adams
The Roanoke Times
Sunday, October 10, 2004

The Eureka Recreation Center has a new gym floor and many other improvements.

Eureka basketball on Saturday, church on Sunday.

Basketball is a bit like religion for those who love the game. A hospitable gym and a satisfying slam on a 10-foot rim can soothe the soul.

Things are a lot more hospitable these days at the city's Eureka Recreation Center in Northwest Roanoke .

There's a new, multipurpose gym floor, replacing a tiled surface that had turned slicker than an election-year politician. There are freshly painted walls. There's a men's restroom that no longer reeks of urine. There's a vigilant staff with an emotional connection to the center and surrounding neighborhoods.

After years of decline for the facility and its reputation, the Eureka Recreation Center has rallied. Its comeback will be celebrated today during a dedication set for 1 p.m.

On Saturday afternoon, Daryl Thomas and companions played full-court basketball outside because of dedication preparations inside. Like many others court side Saturday, Thomas said he is impressed by the changes at the recreation center and the promise the revitalized center holds for neighborhood youth.

"It gives everybody something to do," Thomas said. "You got people around here doing something constructive instead of getting in trouble in the streets. They come down here faithful, like going to church on Sunday. Saturday, Eureka ; Sunday, church."

The turnaround has been a team effort, according to recreation specialist Robin Murphy-Kelso, a Northwest Roanoke native who once played as a child at the center.

Murphy-Kelso said she and colleagues Felix "Bumper" Morgan and Andre Via and Assistant City Manager Rolanda Russell have been key members of a team whose shared goal has been to "give the recreation center back to the community."

"Prior to this, Eureka had a bad name," she said. "The community was afraid to come over here because of drug dealing and things of that nature."

Murphy-Kelso credited Roanoke Police Chief Joe Gaskins and the police department for making the center a place where families can feel safe again.

She didn't claim that Eureka Park is now crime-free. "I'm not going to say it's gone 100 percent because you're still going to have those knuckleheads. But things are a lot better."

Better enough that rentals of the facility to community groups and sports teams have increased significantly, she said. Better enough that people have donated computers. Better enough that Murphy-Kelso and others can dream about more programs, more offerings, more sports and family-related facilities inside and out.

Jeffrey Powell, the city's director of general services, said the new gym floor cost about $52,500. It has a foam cushion backing and a maple-colored, PVC wear layer. Powell said he's been told the floor it replaced had been in the center since the mid-1960s.

On Friday, Powell said he'd have to consult other city officials this week to cite a total dollar amount spent on Eureka renovations.

LaDaris Hurt, Ra'shawn Preston, Robert Coleman and a host of other young people said Saturday afternoon that the new floor is a big improvement over its slippery predecessor.

"On the old floor it was like playing on soap," said Hurt.

The city tackled other repairs and renovations at the center this summer. For about $17,500, it repaved the parking lot and added speed bumps. It repaired the roof, power-washed and painted walls, and replaced lights. The center's kitchen features new appliances.

Murphy-Kelso said she didn't know why the center had been neglected for so many years. She said she didn't care to speculate about the forces at play.

"We are looking forward and moving forward," she said. "If you can give someone structured activity, I think you can improve their quality of life."

Meanwhile, Ra'shawn expressed appreciation for the recreation center's staff.

"They got a new staff," he said. "And that new staff is on their 'A game.'"

 

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