The Federal Way Community Center is reopening Tuesday, Sept. 1, after a months-long closure amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the facility’s leadership has experimented with outdoor classes and is hosting summer camps, guests will be welcomed back with several new health guidelines in place.

Leif Ellsworth, the new manager of the Federal Way Community Center, said he never would have imagined his first six months on the job would be this tumultuous. He said and the FWCC staff is excited to reopen.

“It has been a very tough and trying time for many in our community,” Ellsworth said. “We cannot wait to be a resource and beacon of hope for all.”

Available amenities include the lap pool, leisure pool (lessons and water fitness/walking only), gymnasium, group fitness classes, exercise/fitness area, track, pickleball, youth sports classes and more.

At this time, the sauna, steam room, hot tub, child care options and locker rooms are not available. Locker rooms may only be used for restrooms, hand washing, or as needed for the use of the pool. Lockers are also not available, but guests may use the cell phone lockers in the hallway to store keys, phones and other valuables.

The use of water fountains is also not allowed, so all guests are encouraged to bring a filled water bottle.

These amenities will be made available when allowed by the governor’s orders.

Each area of the community center has specific reduced capacity requirements, so the number of participants is limited to either 25% of the area’s capacity or to allow for 300 square feet of distancing between each person while participating in strenuous activity.

Reservations will be taken for each area throughout the community center, with a list of what is available in those areas. Guests may sign up for activities up to seven days in advance for members and three days in advance for visitors.

Guests and members will be required to complete a health screening of a few questions and a temperature check each time they visit the community center.

There is also an updated waiver attached to the screening form or when registering for a new program. The waiver will be required before entry.

Masks must be worn into the facility and while traveling throughout the facility, but masks can be removed once a guest’s exercise class begins, or when entering the pool area with the intent to swim. At all other times, a mask will be required.

While increasing sanitization frequency throughout the building and paying specific attention to high touch areas, the FWCC also invested in state of the art electrostatic cleaning machines to sterilize the facility each day.

“We will get through this, and welcoming back the public will be a great relief for me to see people being active and engaged,” said Ellsworth, expressing his gratitude for the hardworking staff who have worked tirelessly to reopen the facility.

The Federal Way Community Center, located at 876 S. 333rd St. in Federal Way, is open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday; 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, visit itallhappenshere.org.