With mud under foot, construction crews building the Athens Recreation Center off U.S. 31 were busy welding Monday after a rainy weekend following weeks of searing temperatures.

The center, which was just emerging from the soil in May, now has all of its main walls erected plus the steel framing for its roof.

Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks took time Monday to point out his pleasure with the progress.

“They are blowing the doors open,” Marks said of the construction crew, First Team Construction of Auburn. “Hopefully, by early May of next year, we could be in the facility.”

Initial estimates called for completion next summer, but Marks thinks it might be done a little sooner, depending on the weather.

The mayor, an avid constructor of erector sets in his youth, is both impressed and in awe of the construction process.

“I stop by here two or three times a week,” he said. “It just amazes me. It’s going to be a good-looking building.”

From the street in front of the two-story recreation center, one can see the high beams that grace the entrance and lobby of the building. To the upper right, one can see the space for the workout room, and to the left of the lobby, the area for the administration offices, including those for the Cemetery, Parks and Recreation Department.

Toward the back are the spaces for the three gyms. Once complete, the 72,000-square-foot building will have a three-lane walking/running track, three basketball courts, a lobby, offices and other amenities.

Between the rec center and city swimming pool, ground work is underway on two volleyball courts and six tennis courts. Wrapping around one side of the center will be an all-purpose field with artificial turf.

The mayor pointed out the tall look of the two-story building, with its high roofline above the lobby and planned brick exterior, explaining it is all designed to mesh with City Hall, the Limestone County Courthouse and some buildings at Athens State University.

The mayor said he hopes the city’s walking trails, one of which leads walkers in front of the new rec center, will eventually connect to the Richard Martin Rails-to-Trails walking and biking trail. This would allow trail users to travel from Veto, an unincorporated community near the Alabama-Tennessee state line, to U.S. 72.

Although he and other officials initially projected the cost of the recreation center, volleyball and tennis courts and all-purpose field would run close to $18 million, the cost of the project has ended up about $16.2 million instead. The tennis courts, volleyball courts and multipurpose field were bid separately but came in low enough for the city to proceed. The total cost will also include furnishing the center.

Marks said when the City Council looks at the fiscal 2019–2020 budget in the coming 60 days, he will offer another update on the progress at the recreation center. He said the city will offer to sell the old recreation center to Athens City Schools to use as officials see fit.

The center was built in 1977 and is 20,000 square feet. Population growth prompted city officials to consider building a new recreation center.