LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (July 14, 2015) – Because of the extreme temperatures that are forecast for this week, the City of Little Rock will open three of its Parks and Recreation Department Community Centers to citizens who need a cool place to seek relief from the heat. Serious health consequences can occur for elderly and other residents who may not have air conditioning in their homes.  

The Cooling Centers will open at noon today and subsequently be open the normal hours of community centers in which they are located.

“Though many individuals have air conditioning, the City realizes that not all residents do,” said City Manager Bruce Moore.  “We are pleased to open these facilities during the heat of the day so that those who may need to escape the heat will have a place to do so.”

The locations and hours of the cooling centers are:
• Dunbar Community Center, 1001 West 16th Street, 501-376-1084
Monday-Thursday: 7:30am – 9:30pm; Friday: 7:30am – 6:00pm; Saturday & Sunday: Closed
• Southwest Community Center, 6401 Baseline Road, 501-918-3975
Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 9:00pm; Saturday: 8:00am -  5:00pm; Sunday: Closed   
• East Little Rock Community Center, 2500 East 6th Street, 501-374-2881
Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm; Saturday and Sunday:  Closed

The Community Centers are staffed and have designated rooms available for residents to cool off. Other spaces in the centers are in use for youth and Senior Programs.
“As the summer heat persists, we will continue to monitor the situation to see how long we may need to keep these cooling centers open,” stated Moore.  “I also encourage people to check on neighbors who are elderly or have disabilities to make sure they are doing fine in this heat.”