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Bratenahl committee hears residents on future of community center as finances lag
Summary
At an Oct. 27 Economic and Community Development meeting, Bratenahl officials and residents debated whether to renovate or replace the village community center, with fiscal staff reporting $68,248.05 in 2025 expenses and $9,350 in revenue through Sept. 30. No formal decision was made; committee members agreed to gather cost estimates and continue public outreach.
The Village of Bratenahl’s Economic and Community Development Committee met Oct. 27 to seek community input on the future of the village‑owned community center, Village Hall and possible development of a consolidated “campus.” Chair Gina Huffman said no final decision has been made and emphasized the meeting’s goal of gathering resident views and financial data.
Huffman, Gina Huffman, chair of the committee, said the meeting was intended to clarify options rather than enact a policy: “Nobody said this community center was closing. There should not be an assumption that because we want to build something new … that we won't figure out in some kind of way how to utilize this building,” she said.
The discussion turned sharply at times over whether Council had already voted to tear down the building. Resident Ray Orel repeatedly asserted that Council had approved demolition; Huffman and Councilmember Keith Dews said the earlier Council action authorized pursuing a new campus and collecting appraisals and cost estimates, not an order to demolish the existing facility. Dews said the prior motion was “to build a new construction on Village Hall for community rec, for the police station and the administration,” and that there was no vote on the disposition of the current building.
Fiscal staff provided concrete operating figures during the meeting. Diana Cooks stated that, through Sept. 30, 2025, the community center's expenditures were $68,248.05 and revenue was $9,350. Cooks also said the dedicated recreation tax levy collection ended in 2021, the recreation fund was closed, and utilities and other building costs are now borne by the village general fund. “So the burden then became the general fund’s burden and decreased what the other departments were able to spend,” she said.
Committee members and residents debated the building’s condition and potential value. Planner and committee member Joyce Burke‑Jones and former recreation chair Dave Kozinski described structural limits and programming history: Burke‑Jones noted earlier consultant findings that retail use was not feasible, and estimated renovation costs ranging from about $3 million for minimum upgrades to $5–6 million for more extensive work. Kozinski said the gym remains actively used and that historical room rates and rental practices could provide revenue if enforced.
Participants discussed revenue options to narrow the operating gap, including increased rentals, special events and mixed‑use development at other village properties. Planning work on the nearby Tri‑B/Bratenahl Center drew particular attention; several speakers urged that Council and the Planning Commission gather developer cost estimates and hold public town halls before any final decisions.
No formal motion to alter the community center’s status was taken at the committee meeting. The committee agreed to continue collecting detailed cost and appraisal information and encouraged broader resident engagement at upcoming Planning Commission and Council joint meetings scheduled for mid‑November.
What’s next: Committee members and staff will compile renovation and construction cost estimates and revenue models for the building and for any new campus proposal; Planning Commission and Council joint sessions were referenced as the next forums to resolve land‑use parameters and developer input.
