HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The long-awaited Holland Township Community Center will officially open on Monday, providing a variety of recreational facilities and gathering spaces for residents.
"This has been a dream of our leadership for probably 20 to 25 years," said Holland Township Parks and Recreation Director, Darren Duistermars Thursday. "It was a collective effort, from our township leadership, to our architects, to our construction workers, to staff, current staff, and new staff. What you see here is the culmination of collective thought."
The facility features dedicated areas for basketball, volleyball, and six pickleball courts, alongside a fitness center and an indoor track located on the mezzanine. In addition to exercise options, the center is designed to serve as a versatile community space.
“One thing that the township really wanted to have was some time in the week that was baked for folks to be able to rent the space and use it for their own purposes,” said the Community Center Director, Ben Bekius.
The center includes three multipurpose rooms and a large community room with garage doors that open up to a patio.
"That'll be a nice large space for big family gatherings, corporate events. If businesses are looking for a place to go, they can have an event there, do their meetings, and at noon, go play on the pickleball courts," Bekius added.
Holland Township Community Center Pricing:
- Day pass for residents: $5
- Day pass for non-residents: $7
- Monthly membership for residents: $25
- Monthly membership for non-residents: $35
"We offer discounts if you're going to bring your family. We offer discounts for our seniors 55 and up. And our real kicker and great benefit is that we are partnered with Silver Sneakers, One Pass, and Silver and Fit. So, if you are 65 and older and on a Medicare package that fits one of those systems, you get access to the facility for free," explained Bekius.
The around $14.7 million project was mostly funded by the township's citizens and incorporates parts of the community within its walls.
“Most of our furniture, I should say, is provided by Miller Knoll, which is great, nice local company. And then, we've worked with a lot of local contractors and local consultants," said Bekius.
Though the center will open to the public on Monday, Duistermars said its grand opening won't occur until September.
"It'll be multiple days, and it'll give us time to really generate more interest and come up with some ideas that we think will be fun, family-friendly, and certainly marketable," Duistermars added.
With open spaces on the mezzanine and a lobby featuring a library vending machine, it aims to be more than just a fitness facility.
"The physical fitness equipment that we have here, I mean, it's all the latest greatest stuff, and yet we still focused on the idea of having space to just hang out together," Duistermars said. “I think this is going to become quite the gathering place for the community, not just in Holland Township, but beyond that as well."
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