At the Center of It All City of Euclid unveils new recreation + wellness facility in Memorial Park By Dan Holland | Photos by Mark Wayner (Wayfind Creative)
E
uclid residents were treated this summer to the grand opening of the 36,500-square-foot Euclid Recreation & Wellness Center, located at 600 Babbit Rd., within Memorial Park. The $10 million state-of-the-art facility, paid for through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, allows the city’s recreation department to expand its athletic and community offerings in one centralized location. “When the City of Euclid received $26 million in ARPA funds a few years back, the mayor challenged all the department directors, and the police and fire chiefs, to think of things that fit under the guidelines,” explains Euclid Recreation Director Mac Stephens. “So, I went for it, and asked for $10 million for a recreation and wellness center. We had to take it to the public and city council and have them buy in, and we were able to do that.” Once the need and the funding mechanism were established, the city brought in Perspectus Architecture along with sport design specialists MSA Design for the design-bid-build project, with kick-off of the design in Spring 2023. Infinity Construction, of Warrensville Heights, was hired as general contrac-
tor. Groundbreaking began in February 2025, with substantial completion reached May 29, 2026. A series of public meetings, coordinated between MSA Design, Perspectus and the city were held early in the design process to garner input from Euclid residents. “Our design partner, MSA Design of Cincinnati, led a series of community engagement sessions that brought residents into city hall to help shape the vision for the project,” explains David Urbansky, senior project director for Perspectus. “Those conversations gave us valuable insight into what the community wanted most, what their priorities were, and how those ideas could be reflected in the final design. Through interactive exercises conducted over multiple evenings, we made sure the
planning process was driven by meaningful public input.“
Layout
Visitors enter the pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) under a canopy that leads into a welcoming lobby. Occupying the west half of the facility, the gymnasium is separated from the lobby by a glass storefront system, providing clear sightlines into the activity space. The gym features three full-size basketball courts with maple athletic flooring and each equipped with its own electronic scoreboard. A rubberized running track and spectator bleachers surround the courts, while retractable mesh divider curtains allow the courts to be separated for simultaneous activities or enclosed for individual events. www.propertiesmag.com 45