Anyone who’s walked into the Silverthorne Recreation Center recently might have noticed a change to the lobby: it’s now housing the area where parents can leave kids during their workout. 

Silverthorne Recreation Director Steven Herrman informed council on the temporary relocation of what is known as the “Kid’s Korner” and gave other updates at a Wednesday, Nov. 12 meeting on the town’s approximate $29-million recreation center expansion project. 

Herrman said the relocation was something staff members knew was coming because it was a request from the construction team to help the timeline of the project. He said the staff had the construction team erect 7-foot dry walls to enclose the area, and Summit Fire & EMS vetted it was safe and secure. 

Council member Erin Young wondered how long the temporary relocation would last. Herrman said his team is “mentally prepared” for the Kid’s Korner to remain in that area until the end of construction, which is expected to be completed in fall 2026.

Council member Amy Manka asked how much of the lobby the Kid’s Korner took up, and Herrman said “a majority of it,” but noted they tried to preserve as much of the lobby as they could. He said there are still seating options in other places in the recreation center people can utilize. 

He said the construction team has put on the first layer of the roof, continued steel work and started underground plumbing work. 

Chris Guarino, director of the Summit County-based Artaic Group — which was chosen to represent the town’s interest throughout the process — updated council on a potential 42-day schedule extension his team is “battling.” 

A staff memo for the Nov. 12 meeting details Sept. 28, 2026 as a target date for the project for occupancy, or the point where the building is deemed safe operationally.

“If the contractor, JHL Constructors, is not at fault for the 42-day extension, (the town) would, in theory, owe them to be here for those 42 days,” he said. 

He said there will be more vetting on the causation of the extension between involved parties if it does occur.  He said he suspects the length of the extension could shrink. 

He said, while there were some change orders that have popped up during construction due to a variety of reasons, many of which are typical in construction processes, the budget is “very comfortably beneath” $29 million. The town has a $1.2 million dollar owner contingency for any changes that might occur.

“We feel really good getting past the high-risk portions of the project,” he said.

Alongside the owner contingency, the town set aside $600,000 for charges related to aspects like tariffs. 

In total, Silverthorne Recreation Center expansion will add around 24,690 square feet to the building. New additions include: an approximate 2,370-square-foot licensed school-aged care area, an approximate 12,140-square-foot multi-court gym and an additional approximate 1,440 square feet added to the weight room space. There will also be an approximate 1,970-square-foot view/lounging area overlooking the multi-activity court gym, two new multi-use rooms totaling around 2,500 square feet and around 4,270 square feet added for storage and administrative space.