Taking Recreation Centers From Underperforming to High Performing

Choose the Right Level of Intervention

Excerpt from October 2026 article in Parks & Recreation Magazine:

An assessment should lead to a strategic response, not automatically to a construction project. Most underperforming facilities need one or more of five interventions.

Revitalize means changing how the center is programmed, scheduled, staffed or marketed. This is often the fastest and least expensive path when the building has unused capacity.

Repair means addressing deferred maintenance, inefficient systems, worn finishes, outdated equipment, signage or visual identity. Targeted repairs can improve first impressions, reduce operating costs and extend useful life.

Renovate means altering or expanding the building to improve function. A renovation may enlarge fitness space, reconfigure locker rooms, improve circulation, add flexible program areas or create stronger connections between activities.

Repurpose means assigning a different use to all or part of the property. When a replacement center is built, an older building may continue serving the community as an arts center, senior center, administrative facility or specialized program venue.

Replace means constructing a new facility when the existing site, structure or systems cannot reasonably support future service expectations. Replacement may be appropriate when renovation costs are high, major limitations would remain, or a new building would provide substantially better operating efficiency, revenue potential, accessibility and useful life likely needing some renovation.

These choices are not mutually exclusive. An agency may revitalize programs now, complete essential repairs over the next several years and plan for a renovation or replacement later. The right answer is the one that addresses both immediate performance and the community’s long-term level of service.

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