The city of Aurora, Colo., broke ground Thursday on a $42 million recreation center — funded by the state’s marijuana tax revenues.
The Aurora Sentinel reports that the 62,000-square-foot facility will be the first of its kind in the city’s southeast corner. It will feature such amenities as a strength training area, cardio equipment, swimming pools, a waterslide, a raised track, lounges, outdoor workout spaces and patios with views of the Rocky Mountains.
Local councilmember Francoise Bergan told the Sentinel that the project is a response to complaints about a lack of local opportunities for public recreation and fitness. Bergan told the Sentinel that the facility was an “amenity that was needed for our families and our residents.” Locals reportedly had grown accustomed to commuting to neighboring communities to access public recreation space prior to the opening of the Central Recreation Center, which Aurora opened in 2019. That facility was also funded by marijuana sales tax revenue.
The Southeast Recreation Center will be located about a 15-minute drive away from the Central facility, and is expected to be completed in early 2023.
