Ypsilanti City Council will likely have a purchase or development agreement for the East Side Recreation Center in January. Council Tuesday night received an update on Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation's plans for the facility in the Water Street re-development area. Park Planning Supervisor Coy Vaughn says the latest design features a smaller parcel of land and a smaller building.
The new plans call for a 45-to-55-thousand square foot facility on four acres in the Water Street area. Originally, it was going to be a 55-to-65-thousand sqaure foot building set on 12-acres. Vaughn says, despite the smaller scale, no amenities or programs will have to be cut.
The proposed rec center would have 230 feet of frontage along Michigan Avenue, and would leave a 100-foot easement between the facility and the river for a linear park. The purchase price is to be one dollar, with the county providing $900,000 worth of infrastructure improvements to the site and surrounding area.
Listen to WEMU's Bob Eccles full report.