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Tom Muellenbeck Recreation Center closed for $15.9 million renovation; city aims to reopen December 2025
Summary
Plano’s Tom Muellenbeck Recreation Center is undergoing a voter-approved $15,900,000 renovation focused on aging infrastructure. City staff say core systems and visible finishes will be replaced, programs have been dispersed to other centers, and the city expects the facility to reopen by the end of 2025.
Plano’s Tom Muellenbeck Recreation Center is closed for a major renovation that city officials say is focused on replacing aging infrastructure and refreshing public spaces.
Chauncey Deller, complex supervisor of the Tom Muellenbeck Recreation Center, said the $15,900,000 project — approved by voters in the 2021 bond referendum — addresses end-of-life systems including the roof, HVAC and pool systems, while also providing cosmetic updates to flooring, paint and high-touch fixtures.
Deller said maintenance needs are the primary driver. “The bread and butter of this renovation is all about maintenance,” he said. “Our roof, our HVAC systems, a lot of our features in the pool, need to be replaced so that they don't fail, suddenly or unexpectedly.”
The renovation covers systems that are not always visible to patrons, Deller said, but will also include “a lot of face-lift stuff” to prepare the facility for another 15 to 20 years of use. The center originally opened in February 2007 and the complex measures a little over 85,000 square feet, with a basketball court, four pools, nine classrooms and a large fitness area.
While the Tom Muellenbeck Recreation Center is offline, Plano Parks and Recreation is distributing the center’s programs and staff across the city’s other facilities. Deller said members retain access to all Plano recreation centers through the systemwide membership model and staff have shifted programs and equipment to centers including Plano Cottage Center, Liberty, Oak Pointe, Carpenter and the Sam Johnson Center.
“We're dispersing our resources throughout,” Deller said. “Liberty has taken a bulk of our programs. It's not the full accoutrement of what we used to have, but it's a step forward to try to make sure that impact is blunted.”
Deller said the department tracks use through surveys and usage data and works with user groups — for example, pickleball players — to align space to demand. He described the renovation timeline as subject to the usual construction uncertainties but said the city’s plan is to reopen in December 2025.
For updates, Plano has posted project information and photo updates at plano.gov/tmcrenovation.
The renovation was funded through the voter-approved 2021 bond referendum; Deller and hosts explained that the work is part of the department’s larger master plan to maintain facilities and keep amenities accessible across the city. Deller said the project team aimed to prioritize necessary infrastructure replacements while delivering efficient, user-focused upgrades.
Plano residents and members seeking specific program locations, expanded hours or equipment placements should consult the project webpage or contact Plano Parks and Recreation for the latest schedules and center assignments.
