HURON — After nearly 20 years of providing a healthy approach to life in Huron, the Nordby Center for Recreation is getting a facelift.
“When the Nordby Center opened in 1999, what was built was awesome,” said NCR executive director Shelly Buddenhagen, taking a break between teaching classes and painting her office. “This remodel really changes the first look that people will get when they come in, and we are really happy with how things are turning out.”
Buddenhagen said the current project was “like Plan Z” on the agenda and came about when a hoped-for expansion was put on hold.
The new look begins at the outside door, where vinyl planking on the floor leads into a remodeled lobby, featuring new carpeting throughout the common area and new stacked stonework on the check-in desk and on the wall. A new wall fireplace adds to the welcoming atmosphere in the lobby.
The first word that comes to mind is “grown up.”
“I kinda like grown up,” Buddenhagen agreed. The darker stone lends a large helping of richness to the area.
The remaining remodel - all of which is what Buddenhagen calls “Phase One,” - all takes place on the first floor of the facility. Offices for Buddenhagen and assistant Joey Mitchell have new carpeting and are being cleaned and painted.

Down the hall, both the men’s and women’s locker areas were essentially gutted, according to Buddenhagen. “There are new lockers, new tile on the floor, new sinks, showers and wall coverings. The overall appearance makes the spaces seem brighter.
“Plus,” Buddenhagen said, “we have new ventilation systems in the locker rooms. Our old system didn’t work well, and because of the unique placement of the lockers, we had a tough time regulating temperature and humidity. The new system works great, and we look forward to having a more comfortable locker area.”
The pool is undergoing its periodic painting and sealing, but the pool deck area will be refurbished and the walls in the pool area are set for a fresh coat of paint as well.
Donations from members earmarked specifically for the remodel, along with a Rural Economic Development loan got the project rolling.
“I am so happy and proud of this place,” Buddenhagen said. “I am not even biased when I say that the Nordby Center is one of the best places in Huron! This remodel is due to the overwhelming support that we have from Huron and the surrounding communities.”
Picek Construction of Huron is the general contractor for the project, which Buddenhagen hopes to see finished by the start of the summer recreation program on June 4.
“Justin and his guys have been just wonderful to work with,” she said. “For a large part of this project, they started work at 8:30 at night and worked until 5 in the morning, making sure that our members were inconvenienced as little as possible.”
The Nordby Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization the operates in a sort of symbiotic relationship with the Huron Middle School and the City of Huron. It is supported solely through local grant funding - The United Way, the Huron Community Foundation, Hohm Family and more - and membership dues. Buddenhagen said that the facility has approximately 1,100 memberships, equating to 2,250 members.
“We’re in a unique position, not only in the state but in the U.S.,” Buddenhagen said. “We share a wall with the middle school for one partnership and our facility rests upon ground owned by the city. It is a relationship that benefits us all. Most recreation centers like this are funded by city government.”
Buddenhagen said that she is so very happy with the place that the Nordby Center has in the community and notes that early members of the board of directors left a very viable business model for others to follow.
“It’s really great when we have visitors for a tournament here,” Buddenhagen said. “They are in awe of this facility.”

Curt Nettinga/Plainsman
Nordby Center for Recreation staff members Joey Mitchell and Pam Miedema work at reconnecting the various electronics and computer cables in the midst of the recently redecorated lobby at the Center. Below, the locker rooms have received a facelift as well, with new tile and lockers throughout.