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Pitts recreation center set to open soon By Jayne Gest The John W. Pitts Recreation Center will soon be opening its doors with an anticipated soft opening March 31 and a grand opening set for the middle of April. The nearly 20,000-square-foot facility is located in West Dover’s Schutte Park on Hazlettville Road and named after former city councilman John W. Pitts. “There will be a lot more activities and opportunities for residents,” said Dover Parks and Recreation Director Zachery Carter. The city had hoped to open in January or February for winter sports, but it took longer to get everything done such as scheduling contractors or getting supplies, he said. Earthwork construction began at the end of last February. A look inside The $3 million building, which Carter calls bare bones, is primarily made up of the 11,200-square-foot gymnasium. It has two full basketball courts with the ability to set up three volleyball courts and provide space for soccer and field hockey. A curtain can be pulled down to divide the gym and natural lighting will save energy costs during the daytime, he said. The floor is a soft rubber-like synthetic material with some give, which is good for the legs, Carter added. A walking track circles the outside and small bleachers can be pulled out from the walls. “It’s not a lot of seating, but we’re not the civic center,” Carter said. Most of the city leagues already held throughout the city only have family and friends as spectators, although larger events could have additional chairs set up, he added. At this time, there will be no restrictions or general membership fees. If programs already had fees like the softball leagues or youth basketball leagues, then those will stay the same, Carter said, they all will just be held at the same location. The fees pay for the space, officials and use of equipment. Carter said the equipment was one area where the city didn’t have to buy much for the center, although there was the expense of some items such as computers. “We didn’t have to start from scratch,” he said Aside from the large gymnasium, a lobby holds a wall of lockers with padlocks and a control desk that can view nearly everywhere in the building. In addition to vending machines and rest rooms, there is a classroom for arts and crafts activities and a multipurpose room with kitchenette for everything from aerobic classes to local meetings. Carter said both rooms would give the Parks and Recreation Department the opportunity to hold additional classes. Another advantage to having a city gymnasium is the ability to use it during the daytime when school gyms are in use. This will be especially beneficial for seniors who could use the walking track or participate in daytime programs. Carter said the city currently doesn’t offer many programs specifically for senior citizens. Honoring Pitts The center, which has been in planning for years, has had its opponents, and Vivian Pitts, John W. Pitts’ daughter, said she remembers hearing at one point it wasn’t going to be funded and seeing her father downhearted. Pitts died in October 2005 after serving more than 30 years as a physical education instructor and on council recreation committees for most of his 15 years in City Hall. He was a strong supporter of having a facility like the Pitts Center. Carter said initially a much bigger facility was planned, but they went back to the drawing board for the smaller center that actually was built. Vivian Pitts said the center is an honor for her late father and for their family as well. The family knew what a committed and wonderful person he was, but she’s glad that other people saw that too. “My father’s heart was sports,” she said, adding that he loved to teach it, watch it and everything about it. The facility was funded through a series of donations from local organizations as well as money from the city and county. Some local donators were the Longwood Foundation, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, Beiser-West Family, Welfare Foundation, Greater Dover Foundation, George C. Wright Jr. and donations in memory of Councilman Bill Truitt. Kent County Levy Court donated $300,000 and several state legislators helped with funding for the parking lot and lighting with the city of Dover making up the remainder of the cost. Carter said he’s not sure of the city’s total bill because he’s still getting bills and it was over a two-year period. The Pitts Center hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday with the facility open later when classes or events are scheduled. In the fall and winter, it will likely be open until 10 p.m. and as programs are added the regular hours may be extended into the evening or weekend. “You’re going to see people in here all the time,” Carter said. For more information, call Dover Parks and Recreation Department at 736-7154.
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