Community Center To Receive Major Renovations
Date Posted: December 19, 2023
Posted In: Projects,
From Webster-Kirkwood Times: Offering ice skating, swimming, live theater, meeting rooms, classes and programs, the Kirkwood Community Center, 111 S. Geyer Road, has been a beloved city landmark since 1966.
Used by 350,000 people per year representing 150 Missouri municipalities, the well-traversed facility has not undergone a major renovation since 1992. Thanks to recent action by the Kirkwood City Council, however, the Kirkwood Community Center will soon receive the face-lift it deserves.
In November and early December, the council voted to appropriate roughly $10.4 million in funding for major renovations at the community center, including roof replacement and hazardous materials abatement. Major construction is estimated to begin in March or April 2024, with some smaller projects starting earlier.
“I think it’s pretty exciting that we’re doing this,” said Kirkwood Council Member Mark Zimmer. “We’ve had a lot of comments on this, and it’s finally starting to happen. This is good news for Kirkwood.”
According to Kirkwood Parks and Recreation Director Kyle Henke, these renovations are 10 years in the making. The conversation first started in 2013, following a 2011 community survey that revealed an interest in seeing a refreshed community center.
Initial discussion determined theater activity would need to be moved off site — a conversation that eventually led to the building of the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. But according to Henke, after further review, the Robert G. Reim Theater isn’t going anywhere.