San Juan Wellness Center open house planned

The beautiful new San Juan Wellness Center will not be empty much longer. An open house is planned this week to introduce the new facility to area residents.
The City of Blanding project is located adjacent to the baseball complex near Centennial Park. The center includes two large gymnasiums, weight rooms, exercise facilities, changing facilities, and a large outdoor swimming pool.
The City is eager to sell family memberships to residents throughout the area at a cost of $300 per year for a family of four.
The center will host the wide range of programs offered by the Blanding Recreation Department, under the direction of David Palmer. Community basketball and volleyball programs are already using the facility and the wrestling program will begin use in February.
The 23,325 square foot facility was built with funding assistance from the Community Impact Board, San Juan County, Eccles Foundation, and the Daniels Fund. The City of Blanding contributed $750,000 and city residents agreed to fund ongoing operations with a sales tax approved in 2008.
The center features a host of green technologies, such as solar heating and high efficiency heating, cooling and lighting systems. Many of the green technologies are made possible with a $256,000 energy grant from the State of Utah.
Grand opening of the wellness center will take place later in the summer, when the outdoor pool will open. The pool features a zero entry kids area, lap pool, diving board and three water slides.
Phase Two of the project will include a small indoor swimming pool that will be open year round.
Phase Three will feature the expansion of the facility from two to four gymnasiums.
The open house runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, January 28 and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 29.