St. Joseph’s Indian School’s Rec Center Renovation and Expansion Timeline

Whether it’s as simple as a basketball game or a dip in the pool, St. Joseph’s Indian School’s Rec Center provides endless wellness opportunities for Native American students, families and staff.

In support of the children’s physical health today, and for years to come, we are remodeling our Rec Center to keep up with today’s needs. What was once a model facility when it was built in 1975 needs a complete redo. The renovated and expanded Rec Center will include: a second full-sized basketball court; new entryway with storage for coats and backpacks; two new locker rooms; office space and conference room; on-site equipment storage; separate workout areas for staff and students; and the whole building will be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Below is a timeline to keep you up-to-date on construction updates as this project is completed. You can help make this renovation a reality. To donate to the Rec Center Renovation and Expansion, please visit stjo.org/rec. Philámayaye — thank you!

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Phase II Construction

October 2024
Phase II of the Rec Center Renovation and Expansion begins. This phase includes work on what was the existing Rec Center. Updates to this outdated space will modernize it to today’s standards, including making spaces ADA compliant
Concrete work for the parking lot and front entry began.

Phase I Construction

September 2024
The programs and services housed in the Rec Center transitioned to the new addition on September 9. This allows children and staff to enjoy the new addition while the previous spaces can begin their renovation. The west side parking lot is preparing to be poured next week.
August 2024
The Recreation Center project is nearing completion, with the punch list finished and an expected turnover in two weeks. Following this, a week’s worth of internal work will commence. Despite initial delays, the Rec Center will be accessible by the end of August, with the parking lot completion trailing by a few weeks. The next step involves refurbishing the northeast section, starting around September 1, with an anticipated closure in January. Finally, Phase 3 will remodel the pool’s shower area starting March 10. This will allow continued use of the pool and gym until the entire project concludes in July 2025.
May 2024
We are making steady progress and still on track to be moving into the new rec center later this summer — with the parking lots all finished as well. Then later in August we begin using the new facility and start the work on the old rec center — remodeling and re-building that structure. We are pulling all stops to have the new rec in service and the parking areas done before the students come back for school next year.
March 2024
We are making up for lost time from the pylon drilling early in the project. We are back on track and should be moving into the new rec center later this summer – with the parking lots all finished as well. All of the electrical, plumbing, and heating/cooling rough-ins are getting finished up now this month. The wall structures and framing are all in; the last of the floors are getting poured the first week of March; the final layer of the roof goes on next week; and then the windows will be installed. The sheetrock and wall finishing will start March 18.
December 2023
The outside walls and roof of the new gym started taking form the first week of December. Inside the new addition, the floor is being poured and other projects have begun.
October 2023
The Rec Center project is truly starting to take shape. The final stages of the foundation for the new gym are being completed now. This includes backfilling and insulation, as well as grading. The structural steel for the north side of the building, as well as other walls where the new offices will be located, are going up. In the next three weeks we will see a good bit of the exterior structure completed.
July 2023
A roof repair on the existing Rec Center structure took place. We are currently in the process of drilling 60-foot deep and three foot in diameter holes down to the bedrock where the new Rec Center expansion will be built. The holes are then filled with concrete to make pylons as a foundation to build on. There are 63 pylons to build. The project is underway and going according to plan.
May 2023
The entry way to the Rec Center was relocated to accommodate construction. Site demo, grading and utilities have started. The electric company is running electrical lines. The existing canopy at the entrance to the Rec Center is being removed. In a few weeks the piers will be drilled.

Planning and Groundbreaking

April 2023
St. Joseph’s celebrated the groundbreaking of our new Recreation Center! While this is a project that will take around two years to complete, everyone is filled with excitement and anticipation of what this renovation and expansion will mean for wellness and entertainment at St. Joseph's. Thank you donors for making this happen!
January 2023
The new Rec Center renovation and expansion plan has been finalized! This will provide two separate gyms, a separate staff and student workout area, new game room, conference room and offices, upgraded restrooms and showers and several other improvements.
The work is scheduled to begin in late April. This is a two-year project that will be completed in phases to allow students to continue using the existing Rec Center as much as possible. We will have a groundbreaking ceremony this spring.