A new indoor play area included in more than $2 million in renovations to the Greenwood Community Center could offer a two-story play space and a climbing wall.
Exactly what the new indoor play area would include is still being designed, but the feature will be unique in Greenwood, officials said.
When renovations to the Greenwood Community Center are finished next year, parents can drop their children off at a 4,500-square-foot indoor play facility just down the hall from where they work out. While Mom and Dad are on a treadmill, lifting weights or participating in a class, little ones can climb, slide and run around the play area under the supervision of community center staff.
Arc Design has been hired by the city to do the renovations to the community center, and a variety of possibilities have been discussed for the play area, architect Rick Rush said.
A two-story play zone with a slide that goes from the second story back to the first floor, a soft and safe climbing structure, monkey bars and a small climbing wall are some of the designs that have been included in conceptual drawings, Rush said, but nothing has been decided.
The play area is just a part of $2.3 million in renovations planned for the community center, which were recently approved by the city.
The goal is not to compete with other local gyms or bigger facilities but to make the community center draw in more residents and families, Greenwood Parks and Recreation Director Rob Taggart said. The community center has lost almost 100 memberships a year since 2007, Taggart said.
An indoor play area is the most in-demand attraction for parents with children under the age of 8, said Katy Mann, founder of Indy with Kids, a blog for Indianapolis area families.
At a recent city council meeting, Mann spoke about the importance of having such an option for local parents. A play area would be a vital addition to the community center, she said. That is an amenity that gyms that have taken memberships from the community center do not offer.
“There is no facility that I am aware of in Greenwood or in the vicinity of Greenwood that has a facility of this type,” Mann said.
Taggart has presented the plans to city boards as a possible way to draw families back to the community center.
“By providing a space for children to play, the Greenwood Community Center has an opportunity to welcome families with young children,” Mann said.
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What could be included:
- A two story slide
- Monkey Bars
- Soft climbing structures
- A small climbing wall
- A small kids cafe
- Soft climbing blocks
- foam playground building blocks
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