Cedar Rapids Recreation Center Plans Moving Forward

By Mark Geary, Reporter
Reporter, KCRG
May 14, 2009

CEDAR RAPIDS – Cedar Rapids community leaders have visited seven states and forty recreation centers over the past four years. Now, the city has applied for federal money to start the planning and development process.

It's all part of an effort to build a $50 million dollar public recreation center in Eastern Iowa's largest city.

Kids still enjoy playing basketball at Cedar Rapids Ambroz Recreation Center, even though the building is more than one-hundred years old.

Plenty of people love to swim at Bender Pool. Time Check's Recreation Center attracted crowds before flood water destroyed it. Many call the Witwer Center's new, temporary home a success.

But, Cedar Rapids has never had one public place that combines all those activities into one location.

"It would help attract families and young professionals. It would help make Cedar Rapids a better place to live with a better quality of life,” Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation spokesperson Gail Loskill said.

The approximately 250,000 square foot facility could feature everything ranging from an Olympic sized swimming pool to a senior activity center.

"This could be like the hub of the community,” PLAY in Linn County member Tom Saxen said.

Right now, the plan is to build the new complex on the south side of Ellis Park where the softball field currently sits.

"That facility would have access to trails and to the greenway. It'd be sitting in a spot where it could really spur economic development of residences and commercial parts of the neighborhood,” Loskill said.

If organizers find enough funding to start construction, the new building would replace all of the previously mentioned older buildings.

"The need is very apparent. Since the floods, the need is much greater,” Saxen said.

A central place for all ages to play might be just what Linn County needs to bounce back from last year's disaster.