After almost 18 months of renovations, the Pell City Civic Center officially reopened its doors on Monday night to an excited crowd.

“This has been a long time coming,” said Pell City Mayor Bill Pruitt. “We hope you enjoy it as much as we do! We can’t thank people enough for your support.”

The $2.3 million project includes a newly designed reception area, creating an open view of the basketball court with new glass walls and replacing the old gym floor.

The fitness room was moved and there is a curved-glass observation in the hallway for that area. The renovated fitness area also has all new equipment and televisions for viewing while patrons are working out.

“We used to work out in the old gym here,” said one attendee. “This is a thousand times better. It’s going to give local gyms a run for their money.”

The kitchen was removed to add space to the new fitness area and a warming kitchen was added to the multipurpose room. The old weight room was converted into a hallway and men and women’s locker rooms were added, which include more restroom facilities, showers, and lockers.

“The Civic Center has been the center of the community for the past 40 years,” said Pell City City Manager Brian Muenger. “It’s time to receive the upgrade it deserves.”

The entire area was repainted, doors refinished, and repairs made. The HVAC, electrical, and plumbing were upgraded as well.

The renovations also included relocation of power poles, extending the parking area, as well as the addition of a Pell City Tennis Center building, two new tennis courts, and installing lighting at the existing tennis courts. The entryway from Hwy 34 into the Civic Center was streamlined, making one access point to Lakeside Park, Civic Center, and Tennis area to increase safety.

“We’ve had the opportunity to work with dozens of different firms and a couple of hundred different people to work towards a common goal which is to bring you something that truly brings meaning to the community,” said Muenger. “I think this facility does that. We’re proud of it, and I hope you will be here many afternoons and mornings making use of it for another 30 or 40 years.”

Pell City Councilmember Jason Mitcham said,“Everyone that grew up here that is around my age, this is where you went in the afternoons. I spent more time here than I did at home. Friendships were made, bonds were built, and this is something I want to be able to hand down to everyone.”

Pell City Councilmember Jay Jenkins addressed the crowd, “I was 26 years old when this facility opened the first time, there were quite a few of you not here. Remember what this facility opening meant to this community. That was about 43 years ago, hopefully with this remodel we’ll see 43 more.”

“The residents of Pell City I feel are really lucky for where we’re at today,” said Bubba Edge, Parks & Recreation Director. “The municipal complex is open, all of our rentals facilities are up there now, and one of the visions Brian [Muenger] and I and the Council had is to have the civic center go back to recreation. That is why we installed a game room and a fitness center, the walking track, basketball court, so that everyone here would have something to do. I hope the residents support it because this is an extremely nice facility.”

The City Council recently approved a new fee schedule, which includes annual memberships for family and individuals, tennis memberships, daily guest fees and team fees. More information for membership fees, pricing, and registration are available online at www.pellcity.recdesk.com or by calling the Pell City Civic Center at 205-338-9713.