GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The new MLK Community Center is preparing to officially open its doors, replacing a lodge that served the community for more than a century, with a modern 25,000-square-foot facility.
Tasha Chapman's family has lived around the corner from the center for about as long as the old lodge existed. She has deep roots in the area and countless memories tied to the location.
"I've been going to this park and this pool since I was probably three, four years old, probably before even that," Chapman said.
Now, she's excited about creating new family memories at the upgraded facility with her nine grandchildren.
"My family is going to enjoy this park, like I would rather them go to the park and have fun and be crowded [than] 50 people at my house, so my family is going to enjoy this park,” Chapman said.
During a preview tour of the nearly completed center, Chapman was impressed by what she saw.
"The gym is amazing," Chapman said. "Oh my goodness, that is absolutely amazing. That is beautiful."
Construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the $19.7 million project that has been years in the making.
"So just kind of finishing touches right now, a lot of flooring work that is going on, and then some cleaning, and we'll be ready for the grand opening," Parks Department Project Manager Karie Enriquez said.
TOUR
The facility includes a fitness studio designed for various community programming.
"This is our fitness studio. So this is where we will provide recreation classes, so anywhere from line dancing and Zumba to yoga and our 50 Gold program, which is focusing on age 50-plus for programming," Enriquez said.
FACILITY DETAILS:
- Hours: 9 AM to 9 PM, Monday through Friday; Saturday-Sunday 12 PM to 4 PM.
- Full-size gymnasium
- Fitness studio
- Two community rooms
- Event space (seats 200 banquet-style)
- Neighborhood association office space
- Free after-school programming for teens (ages 13-17) - 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM daily
- Programs can be found here.
Parks Department Director Laura Cleypool emphasized the significance of the new center for the community.
"This facility represents the first of its kind in this generation, for this community," Cleypool said.
The design process included extensive neighborhood input. Neighbors requested specific features, including an official NBA three-point line on the basketball court.
"They listened to us when we said we wanted a full gym. They listened to us when we said we wanted to do movie nights where we could put a screen on the side of that building, and everybody could go out there and have fun. They really listened to us," Chapman said.
The MLK Community Center will hold its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 21, with official operating hours beginning March 2.
