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Montgomery reopens Chisholm Community Recreation Center after $2 million renovation
Summary
City officials and neighborhood leaders on hand to celebrate reopening of Chisholm Community Recreation Center after a renovation funded with bond proceeds and American Rescue Plan Act dollars totaling more than $2,000,000; upgrades include a new gym floor, ADA-compliant sidewalks and restrooms, and programming space.
Montgomery City officials and neighborhood leaders celebrated the reopening of the Chisholm Community Recreation Center at a public ceremony, saying the city invested more than $2,000,000 in the renovation funded by bond proceeds and American Rescue Plan Act dollars.
The project, city officials said, included a new gym floor and basketball goals, fresh vinyl tile and interior paint, ADA-compliant sidewalks and restrooms, and upgrades to interior spaces intended to support programs ranging from financial literacy and job training to health and wellness and GED classes. "We want these community centers to be spaces and places where people find value in spending their time," Mayor Steven Reed said.
Sandra Slate, recreation superintendent for the Montgomery City Parks and Recreation Department, opened the program and thanked staff, contractors and elected officials for their work on the renovation. Slate introduced the mayor and named contractors and partners involved in the project, including Jacobs Engineering Firm, Walter McKee and Associates, Holly Henley Contractors and individuals credited in project communications.
Mayor Steven Reed said the center is part of a broader reinvestment strategy funded in part by a bond issuance the city sought for community projects. "We went to get $50,000,000 from the bond market," Reed said, and added that combined with American Rescue Plan Act funds the city has been able to invest in community centers across Montgomery. Reed described the centers as "more than just brick and mortar" and said they "create memories that echo across generations." He cited the Chisholm renovation as an example of a phase of reinvestment and noted related projects, including a $2,500,000 reopening at the Crump Community Center and an upcoming West Fairview Station, Fire Station Number 10.
Councilwoman Marsha Johnson, who represents District 3, spoke about the center's role for North Montgomery and the neighborhood's long history of disinvestment. "This space, it was once a vital hub, is now reborn," Johnson said, invoking the neighborhood's need for local recreation and youth programming. She thanked city staff and elected officials who worked on the project and invited contributors and officials to the ribbon cutting.
City officials said work on the Chisholm renovation began last summer and emphasized that the effort was intended to pair physical upgrades with modern programs to increase local use of community centers. No formal council vote or ordinance was recorded as part of the ceremony; city staff and officials described the event as the completion and public reopening of the facility.
Officials led a ceremonial ribbon cutting to mark the reopening and invited residents to return to the center for programs and neighborhood meetings.
