Wrecking ball set to smash Fairway

The first phase of the Fairway Recreation Center renovation project will begin Tuesday when a portion of Sun City's second-oldest recreation center is demolished.

The demolition will take about six days and start on the north side of the Fairway branch of the Sun City Library.

Phase 1 construction will affect buildings with the library, the music room, the billiards room, the auditorium and the Arizona Room. Renovation of the pool area will not occur until Phase 2, RCSC officials said.

Demolition should be most noticeable around Friday or Saturday, said RCSC spokesman Tim Gallen.

Cardholders who wish to view any demolition work must stay outside the construction area fence, he said. Authorized personnel will be the only ones allowed within the construction area at Fairway.

The project began in June when RCSC closed the center for decommissioning, which included an asbestos inspection and removal, rerouting of a fire riser and rerouting of an electrical feed to the Computer Club breaker panel. Also, Fairway chartered clubs that did not have designated space were relocated to other areas in Sun City.

"Since we closed Fairway, a lot of people have asked when we're demolishing buildings," said Assistant General Manager Jim Wellman. "Well, we're now ready to knock down some buildings and get started with construction."

Clubs with dedicated space will continue to meet in their rooms throughout Phase 1 construction. When Phase 1 construction work is completed, all clubs will move into their designated and shared rooms.

Since closing Fairway, RCSC had been hammering out final details with Weitz Construction Co., the contractor on the project.

RCSC also had to secure appropriate permits from the Sun City Fire Department and Maricopa County Planning and Development before starting demolition and construction.

"With Sundial open again, our full attention turns to renovating Fairway," said RCSC Board President Denny Nichols. "We are really excited about the project, which will benefit all Sun City residents."

RCSC is using its Preservation and Improvement Fund to pay for the Fairway renovation project. RCSC collects PIF money from the sale and transfer of properties within Sun City. RCSC cardholders' annual property assessment fees do not go into this fund and are not used for renovation projects such as Fairway.