Paul Reynolds Community Centre now open in Wedgewood Park

A new swimming and recreation facility officially opened in the east end of St. John's Thursday.

The Paul Reynolds Community Centre, located in the Wedgewood Park neighbourhood, houses two swimming pools, two waterslides, a full-sized gymnasium anda fitness area.

An outdoor playground is also planned, with construction set for later this year.

The centre is meant to serve as a hub for the area, replacing the oldWedgewood Park Recreation Centre which was demolished to make way for the new building.

The new facility was supposed to open in January, but ran into construction delays.

The new complex has 74,000 square feet of overall space, and in addition to being a recreation centre will have dedicated areas for youth, children and seniors as well as several multi-purpose rooms.

The $30-million centre was named afterPaul Reynolds, who was mayor of the Town of Wedgewood Park before it amalgamated with St. John's in 1992.