Daily Sitka Sentinel

Newer, Brighter Hames Center Open for Fitness

By ARIADNE WILL
Sentinel Staff Writer

The Hames Center received 376 visits by 131 patrons in its first week in operation following a three-month closure in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Roger Schmidt reported the figures Monday, along with precautions the Hames Center is taking to keep gym users safe. A full list of the precautions can be found at hamescenter.org.

The facility is Sitka’s only public workout facility. Schmidt is the executive director of Alaska Arts Southeast Inc. which owns and manages most of the Sheldon Jackson campus. 

Alaska Arts Southeast Inc. also operates the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, which canceled summer classes in April.

“We’re really taking seriously how to reopen the gym as safely as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Schmidt said. 

The proactive steps for reopening Hames include a new, cashless payment system, limited hours of operation, and disinfecting stations placed throughout the cardio loft.

The gym floor remains closed unless used for specific classes.

Pickleball games are available in the gym during select hours every weekday.

Schmidt said the reopening of Hames is possible in part because of changes made during the facility’s closure.

“The Hames Center has been open almost continuously ... for nine and a half years,” he said. “While we were closed, we took the opportunity to do a deep clean of the gym and to reduce the clutter so we can clean more easily.”

This, Schmidt says, has meant the removal of nonessential objects and surfaces, making the disinfecting process easier for staff members, who clean between shifts.

But even with a cleaner setup, the gym is still making adjustments, he said.

The locker rooms are still off-limits to patrons, who are expected to arrive dressed for their workouts in the second floor fitness gym.

Mary Beth Nelson exercises at the Hames Center while wearing a mask recently. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

Traffic numbers indicate that the restrictions have not deterred users from coming back.

The numbers are still not equal to the visits prior to the pandemic closure, but Schmidt said he is pleased with the way things are going.

“We’re not ready to be back at full speed,” he said.

The operating hours are 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., noon to 2 p.m., and 5 p.m.-7 p.m, with one staff member on duty on each shift.

Schmidt said that during the closure, the center had a lot of help from young people.

“We have a lot of kids that aren’t able to go to camp this summer or do other things,” he said. “We hired a crew of them – seven of them – to help us with (the Hames cleanup) project.”

Their primary work was painting the interior walls. The new paint underscores the architecture of the building, Schmidt said.

“It’s a really simple new look that accentuates some of the features of the building, like the beam construction,” he said.