Middleburg Heights Recreation Department

About

The Middleburg Heights Community Center opened in June 2000! This 83,000 sq. ft. building was voted Most Outstanding Recreation Facility by the Ohio Parks & Recreation Association in 2001!

Story

The Middleburg Heights Community Center is an 83,000 square foot facility designed to fit architecturally into an existing campus of civic buildings. The Community Center echoes the existing pallete of materials with warm brick tones and stone detailing. All the spaces within are designed to be amazingly open and airy with the opportunity to view several activities from almost anywhere in the center. It has come to beat as the new 'heart' of the City of Middleburg Heights. The Community Center opened June 1st,2000. In 2001 the Community Center won the Ohio Parks and Recreation 'Most outstanding New Recreation Facility Award', The 'Golden Trowel Award' presented by The International Masonry Instute in recognition of outstanding achievements in masonry design and construction, The Builders Exchange Craftsmanship Awards: In recognition of Exceptional Craftsmanship for Skylights, Glass, Glazing, and Curtainwall, In recognition of Exceptional Craftsmanship in Masonry and Brick work, In recognition of Exceptional Craftsmanship in Specialty Flooring, In recognition of Exceptional Craftsmanship in Stair and Railing System.

Entrance Lobby
The Entrance Lobby is 1,400 square feet and is a two story skylit space that provides your first orientation into the center, with video screens showing program information, display cases for awards and trophies, a front desk for sign in, information and assistance. The space also offers glimpses into the casual activities lounge and the second floor.

Kidszone
The Kidszone is a 1,000 square foot area that acts as a service to the residents, parents can drop off children for up to two hours of supervised care while they use the facility. The room is brightly colored and offers fun activities, games and crafts. There is also a fenced in 'tot lot' for supervised outdoor play in nicer weather.

Casual Activities Area
The Casual Activities Area is 5,000 square feet, central to the entire building, this two story space is capped with a 60' diameter skylight, contains casual seating, spectacular views to the building's activities and offerings. At the center of this space is an elegant curved stair, a two story water fall and reflecting pool.

Aerobics Room
The Aerobics Room is a 1,700 square foot room with a special shock absorbing parquet flooring system, this room has its own independent sound system, mirrors, ballet bars and storage cubicles.

Multi-Purpose Gymnasium
The Multi-Purpose Gymnasium is 3,500 square feet with a rubberized 'all purpose' floor surface, this room can be used for 3 on 3 soccer, floor hockey, batting cages, golf nets, wrestling, Tae Kwon Do, bocce ball, tumbling tots programs, and a variety of additional programming possibilities

Gymnasium
The Gymnasium is a 11,600 square foot maple floored room designed with either 2 basketball or 2 volleyball courts, or can be divided into 4 half basketball courts. There are a total of 12 baskets for recreational basketball.

Multi-Purpose Classroom
The Multi-Purpose Classroom is 1,000 square foot classroom setting the can be used for almost anything, from meetings to arts and crafts and everything in between. A projector screen, marker board, movable tables and chairs, cabinetry, and a sink help adapt this room to a variety of functions and needs. This room is a popular choice for the businesses and residents in surrounding areas for business meetings, staff meetings, and children’s swim birthday parties.

Community Rooms
The Community Rooms are 4,800 square feet and are elegant, multi-functional space, this large room can be subdivided into 3 separate rooms to fit the requirements of a variety of events. From business meetings, wedding receptions, staff meetings, corporate training events, community functions, baby showers, and lectures, this room can be arranged and divided accordingly. There are also three kitchens of varying size to accommodate a variety of differently sized events, from fully catered sit down meal for 250 to coffee and donuts for 15.

Natatorium (Indoor Pool)
The Natatorium is 12,700 square foot large indoor pool is frequently the most popular place in the City of Middleburg Heights, the natatorium area offers wet fun for everyone. As opposed to the traditional “rectangular” lap pool, this freeform body of water links several wet attractions together. The tot pool area has a shallow 4" start and slopes to 18" at its deepest point. In the center of the tot pool is a bright and colorful play feature with a slide, water jets and plenty of rope pulls and wheels to turn for interactive fun.

There is a current channel that can be used as a “lazy river” with inflatable floats or as therapeutic resistance walking against the current. There is a bubble couch, an in-water bench area and an above-deck hot tub. A three-lane lap area anchors the current. This 4-1/2 foot deep area functions for either short lap swimming or as an open area for water aerobics programs. Another offering for the pool areas is a circular vortex section with an in-water bench and swirling water currents.

The last area is the splashdown pool for the 14 ft. tall, 100 ft. long water slide that is a hit with thrill seekers of all ages. The entire pool area is bathed in natural south light through the seven expansive arch-topped window openings. The natatorium has views out through these windows to the outdoor pool area as well as views open to the track above and views into the casual activity area. The pool area also has sauna, steam and first aid rooms, along with office space for the lifeguards and the aquatics director.

Outdoor Pool
The Outdoor Pool is 20,000 square feet, the pool area is the summer complement to the indoor pool. From June through the day before Labor Day, the outdoor pool is a haven for “beating the heat.” The outdoor pool has a zero entrance beach and shallow play area for small children. There arealso manyplay features, including water cannons, tumble buckets and a lily-pad walk.There is also a splashdown pool for the 17 ft. tall, 120 ft. long outdoor slide. In addition to all the fun features, there is also plenty of deck space for lounging in the sun.

A separate concession stand and eating area provides cold drinks, quick meals and tasty snacks. The design also incorporates a secondary entrance through a ‘gate house’ check-in for quick access to the pool without walking through the building.

Fitness Center
The Fitness Center is a 3,300 square foot Fitness Area contains almost 100 pieces of the latest Nautilus and Stairmaster equipment, along with numerous Troy dumbbells, Cybex plate-loaded machines and free weights. The Community Center also has a "cardio-theatre" system for TV viewing while you're working out and a fully staffed fitness desk, complete with an AED machine for member safety. Members may track their progress on individually designed "workout logs" available at the desk.

The Weight Lifting Area is 1,200 square feet and offers free weight plates, benches, and an assortment of bar bells and dumb bells. This area also has special shock absorbing rubberized flooring and sports full height mirrors and great views through an enormous west facing arched topped windows.

The Track is 5,600 square feet and is 1/12th a mile, four lane track wraps around the outer edge of the second floor fitness and weight lifting areas and offers great overlooks into the gyms, natatorium, casual activities lounge, entrance foyer and the expansive, arched west window.

Mission

Our mission is to provide people of all ages and ability the opportunity to participate in active and passive, individual and team, competitive and non-competitive programs. Through our community recreational and leisure activities, we strive to:

■Foster community spirit through friendship and teamwork.
■Teach the fundamentals of fitness, exercise and sport.
■Instill the concepts of pride, motivation and sportsmanship in all participants.

Our vision is to become a model for other recreation departments throughout Greater Cleveland and Ohio. We will do this by offering dynamic programs, using professionally certified instructors and providing progressive, state-of-the-art facilities, which will fully serve the needs of our citizens.