From the cover
BY DUSTIN BUTLER CONTRIBUTIONS BY MICHAEL CROUCHLEY
Recreation center closed, improvements planned
The big picture
What’s happening?
volleyball and pickleball, every other recreation center has expanded hours as well, Hergenrader said, adding that a Plano Parks and Recreation membership is good at any Plano facility. During a presentation to Plano City Council, Facilities Manager Paul Kunze said sta decided to close the center during renovations because it would be more costly and less safe to have construction crews working around patrons. Kunze added that sta considered ways to move the construction start up so the center would reopen for the summer months, but long lead times for some aquatic features and HVAC equipment made that an impossibility. Pushing the renovations back to the fall could result in higher prices, he said.
While the Carpenter Park Recreation Center sees higher annual attendance, Hergenrader said that Tom Muehlenbeck is the city’s highest attended for programming and classes. “A lot of people come not only to use the facility but to take classes,” she said. The Oak Park Recreation Center sees about 400,000 users, Hergenrader said, while Liberty Recreation Center and Sam Johnson Recreation Center are smaller and therefore have fewer users. Hergenrader said while renovations are under- way, several popular programs o ered at Muehlen- beck will be o ered at other facilities when space is available. Additionally, the hours of operations at the Plano Aquatics Center have been expanded to accommodate lap swimming. For those who enjoy open play activities such as
Renovations to the Tom Muehlenbeck Recreation Center include: • New pool play structures and decking • Resurfaced track and gym floor • New itness equipment and locker rooms • Technology enhancements • Improved irrigation and landscaping • Sidewalk replacements, and more facility updates Plano City Council approved construction plans on the facility in June and construction is expected to begin in February. The project is funded by a $15.9 million bond, which 55% of voters passed in 2021. Hergenrader said it is common for projects to go several years before they are started.
2023 24 Recreation center attendance
Key:
Plano city boundary
SRT TOLL
75
Carpenter Park Recreation Center • Built: 1990 • Renovated: 2019
Carpenter Park Recreation Center
CHAPARRAL RD.
521,074
HEDGCOXE RD.
DNT TOLL
Oak Point Recreation Center • Built: 2000 • Renovated: 2018
SRT TOLL
Tom Muehlenbeck Recreation Center
454,436
LEGACY DR.
PRESTON RD.
Oak Point Recreation Center
SPRING CREEK PKWY.
PARKER RD.
408,142
Liberty Recreation Center • Built: 2004 • Renovated: 2019
PARKER RD.
Sam Johnson Recreation Center
Tom Muehlenbeck Recreation Center • Built: 2007 • Renovated: 2025
BETSY LN.
192,991
PARK BLVD.
Sam Johnson Recreation Center • Built: 1997 • Renovated: 2019
14TH ST.
Liberty Recreation Center
PLANO PKWY.
15TH ST.
158,358
544
PGBT TOLL
PGBT TOLL
DNT TOLL
SOURCE: CITY OF PLANO COMMUNITY IMPACT
SHILOH RD.
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
SOURCE: CITY OF PLANO COMMUNITY IMPACT
What’s next
The city would also spend $20 million on the bond funds on land acquisitions for new city parkland, including $15 million set aside for a park at Lavon Farms, which is set to become a mixed-use development as part of Plano’s Envision Oak Point plan. There are also plans for a new park called Mendomi Park at the former JCPenney headquarters, which will become a 107-acre mixed-use development.
parks, and adding shade structures to the Bob Woodru South Dog Park. As work nishes on 2021 bond projects, Plano is proposing a 2025 bond, which residents could see on their May ballot. The proposed bond would allocate $51.6 million for parks projects. That would include $10 million for Hall Park, a new 38-acre city park planned for the corner of Alma Drive and West Park Boulevard.
The center is expected to reopen in December, and Hergenrader said attendees will return to a “more pleasant” experience. While the city will be caught up on recreation projects, several park projects are ongoing or planned for the future. Ongoing projects include improvements at Bruce Glasscock Park and Jack Carter Park, both funded by the city’s 2021 bond. Crews are also renovating facilities at several other
18
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook