The original Challenger Recreation Center, built in 1994, was a modest facility meant to support a small rural community just south of Denver. The town of Parker has since evolved into a sophistictated suburb with a parks and recreation department focused on enhancing the quality of life of its residents, and the existing 48,100-square-foot recreation facility did not meet the fitness demands of the growing community.
The expansion provided a wide range of recreational amenities, including a new leisure pool with zero-depth entry, a current channel, spray features, lap lanes, a waterslide, a sauna, a heated therapy pool and a free-climbing rock wall. Additional amenities include a multi-activity court gym, a group fitness studio with state-of-the-art martial arts equipment, flexible community rooms, childcare facilities, enhanced locker rooms (including a family locker suite), upgraded building and pool mechanical systems, and a new office suite.Â
The renovation of the exterior creates a modern image for the building. The indoor/outdoor waterslide is easily visible from the adjacent arterial streets, and the new entry is more identifiable. Site improvements and expanded parking were carefully considered as well, resulting in an overall better sense of direction and wayfinding for patrons.