Mentor prepares to show off new rec center

Mentor has announced a series of open houses at the new Mentor Community Recreation Center, 6000 Heisley Road, in preparation for the official opening of the facility on July 1.

The open houses will be held on June 5 (9-10 a.m.), June 13 (1-3 p.m.), June 22 (6-8 p.m.) and June 24 (10 a.m. – noon).

These events will feature guided tours, membership enrollment, meet and greet with the facility staff to discuss program offerings and a job fair.

Center Manager Nick Standering said despite some unavoidable obstacles, the renovation process was a success and all involved are confident the community will appreciate the final result.

"The renovation of the building posed a few challenges that impacted the timeline of our opening. The first challenge is the sheer size of the 130,000-square-foot building," Standering said. "We renovated the entire building top to bottom and front to back to try and minimize service disruptions once the center was opened. Another major factor was supply chain shortages, as many of the items needed were specialty items and therefore were delayed."

"Although some areas are still under renovation due to these challenges, the city administration is very pleased with the overall progress of the new recreation center," he added. "The Parks and Recreation Department is very excited to reveal this project to the community and feel it will be an affordable avenue to support health and wellness in Mentor.

"Many departments (city administration, council, public works, parks maintenance) have contributed long hours on the renovations to make the Mentor Community Recreation center a gem for the city."

Standering said some of the highlights of the the new recreation center include a large fitness room, free weights, indoor track, indoor/outdoor swimming pool, whirlpool, sauna, steam room, and Kids Corner (babysitting room).

There are also golf simulators, two basketball courts, indoor soccer field, four tennis courts, four pickleball courts, four racquetball courts, yoga studio, cycle room, circuit training, TRX room and two aerobic studios.

According to a news release, Mentor City Council approved the purchase of the Mentor Heisley Racquet and Fitness Club for $5.15 million in November 2021. The purchase included the building, equipment and approximately eight acres of property.

The 128,297-square foot complex is one of the largest facilities of its kind in Northeast Ohio. The facility closed in May 2022 to undergo extensive renovations.

Membership sales began on June 1.

For additional information about the new Mentor Community Recreation Center, visit www.mentorrec.com.

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