Latest / Kendall County News - Shaw Local / Community gets preview of new Ogden Point recreation center in Oswego
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- 0:05Speaker 1: Community gets preview of new Ogden Point Recreation Center in Oswego.
- 0:10Speaker 1: Written by Eric Shelkov. This article is being read by
- 0:14Speaker 1: an automated voice brought to you by Everlit. Oswego and
- 0:19Speaker 1: Park Board Commissioner Danielle Wilson is happy the district is
- 0:22Speaker 1: able to give the community more recreation opportunities through the
- 0:26Speaker 1: opening of the new Ogden Point Recreation Center. The community
- 0:31Speaker 1: has asked for it. Wilson said, during a community preview
- 0:34Speaker 1: of the center on August 29th. Our studies showed that
- 0:38Speaker 1: we needed this indoor space for our community. It's been
- 0:42Speaker 1: a priority for quite some time to be able to
- 0:44Speaker 1: provide more indoor space for the community. There will be
- 0:47Speaker 1: a second community preview from 5 to 7 p.m. September 1st,
- 0:51Speaker 1: as well as a ribbon-cutting ceremony before Ogden Point is
- 0:55Speaker 1: set to open its doors on September 8th. Last year,
- 0:58Speaker 1: the Oswego-Lent Park District announced it had acquired the Long
- 1:02Speaker 1: Vacant Esporta Fitness Center at 201 Ogden Falls Boulevard along
- 1:07Speaker 1: US Route 34 in Oswego in order to expand its
- 1:10Speaker 1: indoor recreational and aquatic programming, including the district's first indoor
- 1:14Speaker 1: swimming pool. Esporta Fitness closed its doors on October 16, 2023.
- 1:21Speaker 1: LA Fitness operates Esporta Fitness Centers. The building was built
- 1:25Speaker 1: in 2008. The park district bought the 45,000 square foot
- 1:29Speaker 1: building for $ 2. 55 million. The project is being funded through
- 1:35Speaker 1: the district's accumulated resources and non-referendum bonding authority. The transformation
- 1:42Speaker 1: into a multi-purpose recreation space as opposed to that fitness
- 1:45Speaker 1: space that it used to be exclusively is very special,
- 1:48Speaker 1: Wilson said. Those using the indoor recreation and aquatic programming
- 1:53Speaker 1: facility will not have to pay a membership fee. This
- 1:57Speaker 1: is open for a variety of recreation and fitness opportunities
- 2:00Speaker 1: for the community, Wilson said. It is not a membership-based
- 2:04Speaker 1: fitness center. What Ogden Point will offer, the facility will offer.
- 2:08Speaker 1: Recreation programs that require registration, scheduled drop-in sports times, swim lessons,
- 2:14Speaker 1: and aquatic classes. Community rentals for athletic and meeting spaces.
- 2:20Speaker 1: Ogden Point has three multipurpose gyms that can be used
- 2:22Speaker 1: for basketball, volleyball, pickleball, and badminton, five racquetball courts, a
- 2:28Speaker 1: spin room, a group fitness room, a four-lane lap pool,
- 2:31Speaker 1: and a multipurpose room. This is the first time we've
- 2:34Speaker 1: had indoor courts, Oswego and Park District Executive Director Chad
- 2:38Speaker 1: Faldoto said. We've never had an indoor basketball court. Giving
- 2:43Speaker 1: these opportunities that our community has never had is the
- 2:47Speaker 1: most exciting part for me. For us to be able
- 2:50Speaker 1: to have year-round swim lessons for the community, that's going
- 2:53Speaker 1: to be a huge amenity that we've never been able
- 2:55Speaker 1: to do before. For the first time in the district's history,
- 2:58Speaker 1: Oswego Land Park District will own its own permanent indoor basketball, racquetball, volleyball,
- 3:04Speaker 1: and pickleball courts, he said. The swimming pool is set
- 3:08Speaker 1: to open next spring. Currently, the park district operates two
- 3:11Speaker 1: outdoor pools, the Civic Center Aquatic Pool and Windrock Pool.
- 3:16Speaker 1: Oswego Village Board trustee James Cooper is happy the Oswego
- 3:20Speaker 1: and Park District acquired the building. He used the facility
- 3:23Speaker 1: when it was still a fitness center. Now it's here
- 3:26Speaker 1: for the community, Cooper said. It's going to be a
- 3:29Speaker 1: great opportunity, especially when we're talking about things for kids
- 3:33Speaker 1: to do inside during the winter. The district has an
- 3:37Speaker 1: about 38 square mile service area, including all of the
- 3:40Speaker 1: village of Oswego, parts of Montgomery, Aurora, and Plainfield, and
- 3:44Speaker 1: all of Boulder Hill.