to celebrate grand opening!
District 6 Councilwoman Delicia Herrera, friends and family of former Councilman Enrique Barrera, and the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department will celebrate the opening of the Enrique M. Barrera Community Center, 5800 Old Highway 90 West, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 7.
The new 22,000 square foot center will mark the occasion with activities and demonstrations in the fitness area, including salsa cardio, zumba, jazzercise, yoga, hip hop, pilates, and kickboxing, immediately following the ceremony.
The center was part of a larger project in which the former Levi Strauss & Co. sewing plant was converted into office space for Parks and Recreation Department administrative, recreation, maintenance, warehouse and park police academy. The
headquarters opened earlier this year.
The request to name the center for the former councilman came from Councilwoman Herrera. Barrera was appointed to the City Council in 2000 and later won popular election for two terms, serving until 2005.
He was an ordained deacon at San Fernando Cathedral. He also served on the Edgewood Independent School District Board of Trustees from 1978 to 1990.
In conjunction with the grand opening, the Parks and Recreation Department invites the competitive souls who live in San Antonio to join staff in attempting to break the Guinness Book of World Record in tunnel ball, beginning at 11 a.m., following the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “The new community center has a fitness focus and we wanted to do something active and fun to mark the occasion,” explains Assistant Director Janet Martin. “We really want to get the community involved in this in order to promote teamwork and help the neighborhood become aware of the center’s offerings.”
Tunnel ball involves passing a ball backwards, over and under, in a straight line until the ball reaches the end of the line. That person runs to the front of the line and starts passing it again. This continues until everyone has come to the front of the line. The old Guinness Book of World Records is 150 people. The department hopes to have at least 200 people participate. Staff expects the event to take at least two hours. Water will be provided and participants are encouraged to dress comfortably. Getting into the book is no easy task. Martin notes that two independent observers are required. The event must be photographed and videotaped. Everyone participating must fill out paperwork to document their presence. “It’s no easy feat, but I know we’re going to be successful,” she says. “And it’ll be fun.”
The 22,000 square foot community center features a wellness component with fitness as its focus. It includes a fitness room with cardio equipment and weights, and an aerobics studio where dance classes such as zumba and jazzercise are offered.
Multipurpose rooms will be used to host workshops on health and wellness related topics. The center is open to the public. Weight room membership fees are $25 for adults (18 and up) and $15 for seniors (55 and up). Classes are available for nominal fees. Hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday; and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call 207-3221.
The center was part of a larger project in which the former Levi Strauss & Co. sewing plant was converted into office space for Parks and Recreation Department administrative, recreation, maintenance, warehouse and the park police academy. The headquarters opened earlier this year.
Comments can be sent to kelly.irvin@sanantonio.gov.