10 years in the making, newest Cincinnati rec center will cost $7.4M
After more than a decade of delay and a price tag that started at $600,000, Cincinnati will open a $7.4 million recreation center in Oakley this fall.
The current cost – disclosed in minutes of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission and confirmed by a city spokesperson – is higher than first anticipated for at least four reasons, according to city documents and interviews:
Blueprints changed. In 2013, the city proposed a combined rec center/pool project at 3900 Paxton Ave. In 2016, it upgraded just the pool and playground there and floated various options for the nearby rec center. In 2022, Oakley Community Council endorsed the design now under construction.
Construction costs rose. Inflation in the cost of materials and COVID-related supply shortages added to overall expenses.
Bidders fell short. The city first sought a contractor for the work in September 2022 but had to restart the process twice after that because bidders did not meet city goals for diversity, equity and inclusion. Given inflation, the added time added to costs.
Hoped-for private dollars never materialized, leaving the city to cover the full price.
“It's been a moving target," Daniel Betts, director of recreation, said of plans for what will be called the Eastside Recreation Center.
Existing center is 'packed 7 days a week'
Information about the center’s final price tag comes as Cincinnati leaders absorb dozens of recommendations from a high-profile commission on how to address the city’s fragile fiscal health.
Among the ideas from the Cincinnati Futures Commission was one suggesting the Recreation Commission sell its six city golf courses and another proposing it collaborate more closely with the Parks Department. The first idea could bring in up to $27.3 million and the second could save $25 million over a decade, the commission said.
The new recreation facility will contribute to the Recreation Commission's revenue, said Colleen Reynolds, Oakley Community Council president. Programs offered by the existing Oakley Community and Senior Center, located in the Hyde Park Plaza shopping center, fill quickly and generate waiting lists, she said. “It’s packed seven days a week.”
The new center will serve as a regional facility, with users from Oakley, Madisonville, Hyde Park and other neighborhoods, Betts said. "There is a huge need and demand," he said.
About the new Eastside Recreation Center
At about 15,400 square feet, the new facility will be nearly twice as big as the current 8,600-square-foot site.
It will include three community rooms, a multipurpose gym, locker rooms with showers and parking for 54.
It won’t feature exercise equipment and weight rooms common to other city rec centers since Oakley is home to several such private businesses.
What happens to the old rec center?
Betts said the Recreation Commission has not yet decided the future of the existing Oakley facility but may tear it down to make room for picnic shelters.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When does the new Oakley rec center open and how much did it cost?
