Columbus recreation center temporarily closes. Here’s why
A Columbus recreation center is temporarily closed until further notice.
The Boxwood Recreation Center, also called the Boxwood Community Center, on Enoch Drive is closed indefinitely due to a staffing shortage, the Columbus Consolidated Government announced Wednesday.
No reopening date has been set.
The center features a game room, multipurpose activity room, playing field, basketball courts and a playground. It also offers technological resources, tutorial services and cultural programs for people of all ages, according to the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department website.
Boxwood is one of 11 recreation centers listed on the website. The nearest center to Boxwood is the Fluellen Recreation Center, 1.2 miles away, at 2824 Eighth St.
Department director Holli Browder told the Ledger-Enquirer that one of the three employee positions at Boxwood was filled when the center closed and the shortage is endangering other centers.
“Several of our recreation centers could be at risk due to the staffing shortages we are currently facing,” she said in an email. She didn’t provide the requested number of employee positions and vacancies at the other centers.
Asked what the department is doing to solve the employee shortage, Browder said, “The department has worked with the City’s Human Resource Department to offer and attend as many local job fairs throughout the community but has had very little success to fill the vacancies. Supervisors and other employees continue to try to recruit new applicants. This is in addition to the positions being advertised by the City’s Human Resource Department.”
Browder said she doesn’t know the reason for the employee shortage.
“This is not a localized issue,” she said. “You can search and find any number of cities and communities across the country with these same staffing shortages. I wish I knew why there was a shortage so we could address that specifically, but unfortunately, I like so many others do not know.”
For an application, visit the Columbus Consolidated Government website and click on Careers. The full-time positions are listed as Recreation Program Specialist II and III. The part-time positions are called Recreation Center Leaders. The city’s rec centers are open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and from 2-6 p.m. Saturdays.
“It is our wish that this closure is short-termed,” Browder said. “We hope to reopen as soon as possible so that programs continue to be delivered to our citizens in the Boxwood neighborhood.”
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 4:36 PM.
