Future of Recreation Center Project FAQs

Staff recognizes that recreation buildings are aging. As buildings, like our three recreation centers, get older, they become more expensive to maintain.

They eventually reach a point where maintaining the infrastructure escalates significantly. At this “inflection point” a decision should be made to determine whether continued investment is worthwhile, if a significant renovation should happen, or if the building should be repurposed entirely. Learn more about inflection points and cost of city buildings.

Visit the Future of Recreation Centers webpage to sign up for project emails and more details on participating.

The East Boulder Community Center and East Age Well Center is an ideal candidate for renovations - while the building systems need modernization, the building is intact. These renovations are funded by the Community Culture Safety and Resilience tax. In addition to energy efficiency upgrades, community input will inform what these renovations include. Construction is expected to start in 2026.

We know from the first round of input on this project that SBRC is valuable to many community members and that some amenities are a key part of the recreation system. While all parks and recreation amenities provide valuable health and well-being benefits, we know the past several years have been tough for the South Boulder community and the recreation center and park have been a space of community wellness, gathering and healing for many. We want to continue to support our community.

Due to its age and condition, major repairs or renovations to the current building are not feasible. City Council accepted the 2021 Facilities Plan and 2022 BPR Plan, both of which confirmed that South Boulder Recreation Center has reached the end of its lifecycle. The level of service we can provide at South may decrease as parts of the building fail. We will continue to evaluate the building and keep it operating as long as is feasible.

Community input via the Future of Recreation Center Project questionnaire (open through Sept. 30) will help the city prioritize which indoor recreation activities are most important to provide across our recreation center system. While this feedback will first guide design for the funded EBCC retrofit/renovation project, the input will also influence the city’s long-term financial strategy. This will inform a funding approach for future recreation investments, including what happens at the site of the South Boulder Recreation Center.

As we plan for the future, please check the Future of the Recreation Centers project webpage for the latest facility updates and frequently asked questions.

Thank you for your support as we plan for the future of Boulder’s indoor recreation.

Renovations to the North Boulder Recreation Center have not been planned or funded. This project will help identify our community's overall desires for indoor recreation and what renovations could best serve the community in the future if additional funding is identified.

Decisions will be guided by community engagement, policy directive and research.

City council accepted the 2021 Facilities Plan and 2022 BPR Plan.

The 2021 Facilities Master Plan is the guiding policy document for the City of Boulder’s Facilities and Fleet department (Facilities). It provides a holistic view of the city’s entire building portfolio and sets the strategic direction for 75 buildings with over 1.8 million square feet. The 2021 Facilities Master Plan is unique because it spans all city departments, unlike most master plans that are specific to the department’s services in the community.

BPR’s 2021 Indoor Recreation Facility Assessment was prepared as part of the 2022 BPR Master Plan. The assessment is a conceptual overview of BPR’s primary indoor recreation facilities. As an overview, it highlights key observations and opportunities identified by previous assessments, staff input, and a visual assessment of each facility. The report also highlights where more research and evaluation needs to be conducted for aging infrastructure with consideration of programming needs and trends.

The key themes from each department plan will help guide decisions:

​​​​​​​We always consider operations, including staffing, during the design process.

​​​​​​​This phase of the project will NOT specifically address recreation center operating hours.

​​​​​​​Recreation fees are set independently of the cost of capital projects. Programming and operating costs are considered when determining recreation fees.

Parking, multi-modal transportation and accessibility will be part of the design process.