Hundreds of Westwood neighborhood residents and community members looked on Saturday morning as Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and other officials broke ground on a new, $55 million recreation center.
The project, which Johnson noted was 17 years in the making, aims to be the first recreational hub in a neighborhood that has had a lengthy history with not only youth and adult obesity, according to the City of Denver website, but also with poverty and violent crime.
“It is very important for kids to be able to have this place so they can be involved in good activities such as sports and fitness, and feel like they belong in their community,” said Andre Rodriguez, who has been part of the Westwood community since 2014 and started campaigning for the project at just 14 years old.
The site plan for the center, at the corner of Morrison Road and Walsh Place in Westwood, details a hub for community engagement with a wide range of amenities, featuring multiple swimming pools, a turf field, a gymnasium, a children’s playground and community gardens…