After closing for nearly 18 months due to construction, the Nelson Rec Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. June 17.

"It's a completely new place," building manager Bill Strock said. "You won't even recognize the old building. Basically everything in the building is new."

The event will also feature cake and tours of the new facility.

Renovations to the building included walls being reconfigured throughout. Base officials also added new amenities to many of the rooms that offer soldiers opportunities to relax, unwind and entertain themselves.

Television viewing rooms have been updated with 42-inch plasma screens, while new chairs, a 16-foot screen and a surround sound system were added to the movie room. The pool room has also been updated with four new pool tables, and two new table tennis tables were added to another recreation room. The center's ballroom also received a complete makeover, including a new floor.

Officials also brought in $150,000 of new equipment in the gaming room, including 16 computers geared toward gaming and another 26 that can be used for surfing the Web.

A central air conditioning system was also added to the gaming room.

"It'll help keep our soldiers comfortable and help keep the hardware operating at a high level for a long time," Strock said.

The center will also host a BOSS party featuring music, free food and beverages at 5 p.m. June 18, and an 8-ball and Halo tournament with a host of prizes starting at 4 p.m. June 19.

The new facility is strictly for the use of soldiers.

For more information on any of the events, call (253) 967-2539.