Monday, April 20, 2026 |
Photo – Hanna Recreation Center – Bigfoot99 file photo
Hanna officials are seeking an appraisal of the town’s shuttered recreation center for a future use.
In the early 1980s, when coal mining was in full swing, major energy producers, such as Arch Mineral Corporation and Union Pacific Coal Company, collaborated to build the Hanna Recreation Center. The 31,000 square foot facility was intended to attract miners and their families to Hanna.
After the mining industry left in the early 2000s, the town’s population began declining, and membership at the recreation center fell. Keeping the facility open cost roughly $300,000 a year, most of it covered by impact‑assistance funding from nearby wind energy projects. As the funding began to run out, the town council voted to indefinitely close the recreation center on July 31st, 2024.
Since that time, the building has sat vacant while the town has continued basic maintenance in the hope that a buyer will eventually come forward.
In February, Hanna Recreation Board member Dorn Hetzel announced that he, Carbon County Comet owner Mike Armstrong, and fellow Hanna resident Katrina Powell formed the Friends of the Hanna Recreation Center. Hetzel said the nonprofit organization planned to take over operations of the closed facility from the town and reopen portions of the building, beginning with the weight room.
In addition to a $1 annual lease, Hetzel asked the town to donate water, sewer, and landfill services. The nonprofit would cover all other utilities, including gas and electricity. While the governing body expressed their support for the partnership, questions about liability insurance prevented them from agreeing to the exchange. The council is still waiting on a definitive answer from the town attorney.
The matter was discussed once again during the April 14th Hanna Town Council meeting. Mayor Charlie George said the town should be ready to take action on the shuttered recreation center once they receive guidance from the town attorney, adding that determining the property’s value through an appraisal and survey should be the next step.
The town must advertise for an appraiser for two weeks, then hold a public hearing before making a selection. Mayor George said the appraisal is needed before any action can be taken on the recreation center.
The Hanna Town Council unanimously voted to request an appraisal and survey of the recreation center. The information is required before the town can consider any alternative uses for the building, including a lease or sale.
