Manzano Mesa seniors sweat through broken gym air conditioning

The gym at Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center climbed to 88 degrees during a stretch of peak summer heat, leaving one of Albuquerque’s senior and family gathering places too warm for regular use. The City of Albuquerque said three rooftop HVAC units at the center need replacement and are about 20 years old, and crews have only temporary fixes in place while permanent work continues.

Angi Gonzales Carver, who said she visits the center nearly every day, said the heat could force classes to cancel for seniors, adults and children who use the building. She said the temperature reached 88 degrees even with few people inside, a level that turns a gym into a difficult place to exercise, gather or stay for long.

The city said it installed one portable cooler and two fans and planned to add two more portable cooling units next week. The rest of the facility remains fully air-conditioned and operational. The center serves adults 60 and older with lunch Monday through Friday and offers reduced-rate meals for adults 50 to 59.

The center’s threshold for closing the gym is 78 degrees, and public construction records on the city site show HVAC plans for the Manzano Mesa center dating to the early 2000s.

The National Weather Service warns that older adults and people with chronic medical conditions face greater danger in extreme heat. The National Weather Service’s Albuquerque forecast guidance for June 24 and 25 warned of a moderate risk of heat-induced illness across central and eastern New Mexico through Sunday, with a major heat risk in the southeast plains this weekend. The New Mexico Department of Health also warned in March that temperatures were expected to top 90 degrees across much of the state.