Chelsea Piers Announces Over 150 Staff Layoffs In Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — Chelsea Piers has announced over 150 staff members have been laid off and another 200 plus staff members will continue to be furloughed. In a letter to the state labor department, the sports and athletics complex said Monday it had recently notified 94 staff members they have been moved to "layoff status," however they hoped to rehire these employees later in the year or early next year.

The facility, located on Blachley Road, also said they notified 85 staff members they were moving them to "permanent layoff status." Additionally, 265 staff members were told their temporary furlough was being extended, however the facility hoped to "recall them by early September."

According to the state department of labor website, 444 employees in total have been affected by the layoffs and furloughs. (To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

All affected employees were initially notified of their initial temporary furlough in March, according to the letter.

"We initially did not expect the period of closure to go beyond four or five weeks," Executive Director Greta Wagner said in the letter, "however, it has become clearer with the defined phases and the mandated wait periods between phases, that it could be several more months before our core businesses could open, and even then, increasingly likely that we will experience a phased reopening."

Wagner also noted that, once the facility is allowed to open its core businesses, they will likely open with a "much smaller user base."

The facility plans to call furloughed employees back to work between June and September, Wagner said. Chelsea Piers currently has 32 active employees, according to the letter.

The Chelsea Piers website describes the facility as "one of the finest sports and recreational facilities in the country," offering instructional programs, camps, sports leagues, competitive teams, fitness and drop-in fun for children and adults.