For years, the Upper Arlington community has voiced its need for a centralized community center. Now, after incredible efforts by the city and community, the Upper Arlington Community Center is going to be a reality.
After the landmark vote from residents in May, work is now underway to develop a community center at the Kingsdale Shopping Center. The nearly 96,000-square-foot development will offer several amenities including a swimming pool, gym and multi-purpose spaces for events and programming.
“With all of the programming (the parks and recreation department) puts on, it’s amazing that they don’t have one central location,” says Emma Speight, community affairs director for the city of Upper Arlington. “It’s going to be a huge transformation for the community.”
Much of the programming is currently spread throughout Upper Arlington and beyond. For instance, the center for older adults is housed in five buildings built in the 1950s, but those facilities are now outdated, city officials say.
Upper Arlington teens don’t have a city-organized space to gather whatsoever. So, says City Manager Steve Schoeny, they have made do with places like the lounge on the second floor of Giant Eagle after school. For other recreational activities, residents have to leave Upper Arlington to take advantage of facilities like the downtown Columbus YMCA.
“People are driving all over to participate,” Speight says. “There’s no synergy as a result of that.”
The community center will provide designated spaces for older adults and teens, and programming for all demographics throughout the entire facility.
A Study in Gold
The latest push for a community center traces back to the 2018 comprehensive plan for the parks department. The city and the Community Center Feasibility Task Force completed an 18-month study process and found that about 80 percent of the community were in support of the new development.
Kroger originally owned the Macy’s property in the Kingsdale Shopping Center, but it sat vacant for about six years. Local legislation that fined vacant properties with code violations incentivized Kroger to sell the property to Continental Real Estate Companies, which is managing the community center project.
“All things came together,” Schoeny says.
While a third of the Kingsdale site will be devoted to the community center, the rest of the property will be developed into residential space for older adults and townhome apartments. This will create some synergy in the Kingsdale corridor, Schoeny says.
True to Upper Arlington’s nature, residents and city officials wanted to ensure the community center fits in well with the city. Residents raised concerns that the new center would create overwhelming shadows or that it would infringe on the existing skyline, so the community center was designed not to exceed the height of existing neighboring buildings.
After fielding feedback, the city also assured community members that no homes would be torn down in the development and that new parking structures will be built so neighborhoods don’t get flooded with community center visitors’ vehicles. Continental Real Estate Companies and city officials have assured residents that the plan – and its location – are ideal.
“We love this location,” Schoeny says. “It’s very central within the community.”
Work Ahead
The community center will become the focal point of the city’s recreational offerings. That means no more driving to Columbus or other communities for certain interests. Plus, families who visit the center will be able to take advantage of multiple programs at once so parents can do what they want without worrying about the little ones. For instance, a mom can attend yoga class while her child participates in a toddler’s program.
Previously, families had to visit multiple locations for their various programs and interests, but the community center makes life much easier.
“This is going to bring that all together,” Schoeny says.
He adds there’s not much room for expansion as the facility, like Upper Arlington, will be landlocked, but the building is being designed in such a way that its many rooms and spaces can evolve over time for new and changing programming.
The detailed and final design will begin late summer and be completed before the end of the year, and construction will begin next year.
The center is slated to open in 2024. Following the passage of the community center ballot issue, the Upper Arlington Parks and Recreation team took a field trip out to the future site of the center to celebrate.
“The joke was they’re all ready to go … be there to start work,” Schoeny says.
Community Center Specs
Though the plans are still being finalized, the Upper Arlington Community Center will contain between five and seven stories. Here are some preliminary building specifications according to the Community Center Feasibility Task Force’s feasibility study.
First floor: Entry, pools and some below-grade parking.
Second floor: Fitness and group space.
Third and fourth floors: Three gyms, lockers, a game room, an adventure play area and a running track.
Fifth and sixth floors: Older adult space, event space, meeting rooms, demonstration kitchen,large outdoor terrace and office space.
Brandon Klein is an associate editor. Feedback welcome at bklein@cityscenemediagroup.com.
