Ypsi and Superior Township recreation center moves forward with architect selection

The Eastern Washtenaw Community Recreation Center (EWCRC) in Ypsilanti and Superior townships is one step closer to reality. The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission (WCPARC), which is spearheading the project, recently selected an architect to design the new recreational and civic hub.

“A recreation center in the eastern Washtenaw County region has been in the discussion sphere for a long time,” says WCPARC Director Meghan Bonfiglio. “There’s just so much energy behind this. Every time we do a survey or a meeting, people bring it up. People say this is what they want.”

At a Special Commission meeting in October, WCPARC voted to award the architectural and engineering services contract to complete the project’s design to Neumann/Smith Architecture. The Southfield-based firm was selected over 14 others based on criteria including cost, proposed timeline, technical expertise, and relevant experience building recreation centers featuring natatoriums.

The new recreation center will be created on a 30-acre site acquired by the county on the border of Ypsilanti and Superior townships. Shaped by community input and designed by GRO Development, the EWCRC will include indoor pools, a gymnasium, a fitness and wellness center, child watch services, and a teen drop-in space. The facility will also house over 4,000 square feet of flexible community meeting space that can be rented.

“We heard it was important to have a spot for some programs that already exist but need a home, and spaces for holding meetings and community events,” Bonfiglio says. “All of those things can coalesce and be located in a facility like this.”

She underscores that a number of partners “are all playing together to get this important project moving.” The projected delivery date is the end of 2027 and the county has secured approximately $32 million to bring it to completion. Funding sources include the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, American Rescue Plan Act funds, Community Development Block Grant funds, and allocations from both Washtenaw County and WCPARC. Neumann/Smith was awarded a $1,834,200 contract to take the project’s schematic design to the next level. 

“They’ll refine it. They’ll go through the design development and design plans, and then ultimately construction drawings,” Bonfiglio says. “That’s what we’ll end up building, so this is a critical element to get on board.”

She explains that WCPARC needed a firm that could incorporate sustainability and resiliency strategies into its design. The facility will be designed to serve either as a food distribution center, or as a way to give people warming and cooling options, in times of crisis or distress.

“We’ve talked in our schematic design presentation about making sure that this facility can also function as a resiliency hub,” Bonfiglio says. “Bringing these resources closer to home will not only meet a real need, but help strengthen the sense of community for everyone in the region.”

She invites people to visit the WCPARC website for project updates, or to reach out with questions.

“I’m hearing excitement. I’m hearing ‘I wish it was happening sooner’, so I think people are ready to start utilizing it,” Bonfiglio says. “There is a need for it, and I think people deserve and want it in their backyard.”