LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two additional Louisville community centers reopened Monday for the first time since last March.
Ben Johnson, assistant director of Louisville Parks and Recreation said the pandemic caused the centers to shut their doors.
"In the last year plus, it's been tough for everybody," said Johnson.
Staff members at local community centers went from programming and teaching classes to using the time during the shut down to re-paint, organize new furniture and clean.
Monday, the Metro Arts Center and Wilderness Road Senior Center reopened.
Louisville community centers are now open from noon to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays.
The following centers are open as of Monday:
- Beechmont Community Center, 205 West Wellington Avenue
- Berrytown Community Center, 1300 Heafer Road
- California Community Center, 1600 West St. Catherine Street
- Cyril Allgeier Community Center, 4101 Cadillac Court
- Metro Arts Center, 8360 Dixie Highway
- Molly Leonard Portland Community Center, 640 North 27th Street
- Newburg Community Center, 4810 Exeter Avenue
- Parkhill Community Center, 1703 South 13th Street
- Shawnee Community Center, 607 South 37th Street
- South Louisville Community Center, 2911 Taylor Boulevard
- Southwick Community Center, 3621 Southern Avenue
- Sun Valley Community Center, 6505 Bethany Lane
- Wilderness Road Senior Center, 8111 Blue Lick Road
Johnson said the Douglass Community Center is the only location still not open, and that is due to a lack of staff. He said there is only one employee there and he's encouraging people to apply online.
Community centers are at limited capacity. Masks are required and temperature checks are taken as guests walk in. Social distancing is enforced and many group activities are still on hold.
"We're having to follow some rules that are not necessarily popular still. I can understand a little bit of frustration," said Johnson. "We are following CDC, governor, mayor's office, health department, and that's what we do."
Guests at the Wilderness Road Senior Center arrived early, before the doors opened Monday, and anxiously waited to see their friends.
"I missed it. I'm 89-years-old, so there's not a whole lot of places to go and I really enjoyed the companionship and the people I met here," said Elbirda "Birdie" Haley, who's been coming to the center since 2015.
Others like Wilma Atchley said she, too, was glad to be back in-person, but was hoping the restrictions would be more relaxed.
"I am excited if they're going to let us play cards, but I don't want to come and just sit," she said. "We need to be able to do something useful so I'm hoping we'll be able to do that."
Johnson spent time Monday explaining to the guests at the center that he's hoping with these rules in place, nothing will happen where the centers have to close again. He said activities involving groups, even things like card games, will be phased in step-by-step.
"As soon as we can do more like that we will," he said.
As of Monday afternoon, no guests had arrived yet at the newly re-opened Metro Arts Center off Dixie Highway. There, group classes are not offered yet due to restrictions, but individuals can once again use the space to work.
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