AURORA, Colo. – The city of Aurora broke ground on its new 62,000-square-foot recreation center Thursday, Feb.18. The $41.9-million project is fully funded by marijuana tax revenue and is expected to be completed in early 2023.

Due to safety precautions of COVID-19, the groundbreaking was a closed ceremony and no members of community or the media were in attendance.  The recreation center will be located in southeast Aurora, 25400 East Alexander Drive.

Those in attendance included Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman; Aurora Mayor Pro Tem Françoise Bergan; Aurora Ward Four Council Member Juan Marcano; Aurora Ward Five Council Member Alison Coombs; representatives from Populous, the project architect firm; representative from Saunders Construction, the project general contractor; along with limited city staff from Parks, Recreation & Open Space and Public Works.

The soon to be state-of-the-art recreation center will include an indoor pool with waterslide, pool party rooms, fitness area that includes a 1,000 square foot fitness turf zone, group exercise rooms, multi-purpose community rooms, gymnasium, “figure 8” running track with various elevations and the newest addition to the city’s recreation center facilities, an over 20,000 square foot indoor fieldhouse.

The center will also include integrated public art. After a public process, the city’s Art in Public Places Program selected the team artist team Project One Studio of Indianapolis to develop an art installation, “Florescence,” that will be integrated through the recreation center. 

The city hosted an extensive public input process in 2019 garnering nearly 2,700 responses from the community about their vision for the center. The feedback received ultimately shaped both the external, look and feel of the center as well as the internal, listed amenities within it.