A construction crew uses a lift to replace ceiling tiles in the pool area of Fort Sill's Rinehart Fitness Center. The crews had to put strengthened plywood over the pool to finish the renovation. Photo by Kevin Young, Fort Sill Cannoneer

FORT SILL, OK -- The reopening of the Rinehart Fitness Center at the Fort Sill, OK, Army base might take place in mid- to late January. When the project started this past summer, officials had hoped the fitness center would be ready by November, according to the Fort Sill Cannoneer.

Several aspects of the renovation, including new air conditioners, required more time than anticipated, according to Andrew Turnipseed, supervisor for the Lawton, OK-based contractor Ten Bears Construction.

There also has been a backorder on parts for the fire alarm and chlorine detection systems for the indoor pool, according to Bill Barwick, chief of community recreation for the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (FMWR).

“We will continue to monitor the progress of this project and keep our patrons informed,” Barwick says. “I believe we will have a superior fitness center once all renovation is completed.”

Because of the delays in the opening of the pool, FMWR officials reached out to a YMCA in Lawton to make aquatic therapy available to wounded Fort Sill soldiers.

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