Ready to rec ’n’ roll out new, $44M urban center
Multiple floors, bouldering rock among things stacked in facility’s favor
When it opens next month, Denver’s new Carla Madison Recreation Center will be a marvel of the parks system, from its outdoor climbing wall and bouldering rock to separate lap pool and children’s pool areas to a stacked-floor design that makes it the city’s first truly urban facility.
Throughout, the center gets plenty of natural light and, from some vantages that include a rooftop deck, has stunning views of downtown and the mountains to the west.
The nearly complete $44 million project is at East Colfax Avenue and Josephine Street, across the City Park Esplanade from East High School. The Denver Post recently took a tour inside the 67,000-square-foot, five-story center — the city’s first new recreation center since 2011 — on a recent morning, as workers set up weight and cardio equipment and focused on finishing touches.
The rec center is set to open in the first half of January, although a date hasn’t yet been scheduled. That opening was recently pushed back nearly a month, but Denver Parks and Recreation officials say the reasons, including an issue involving backup generator power to the elevators, were minor.
“This is going to be a nationally recognized facility,” predicted John Martinez, the deputy executive director for recreation. “It’s the first urban rec center (in Denver) in terms of going vertical — having a gymnasium over
the pool. It’s just a unique design.”
The center features bright-red floor tiles and other red accents throughout in honor of its namesake, Carla Madison, a longtime neighborhood advocate for City Park West who was known for dyeing her hair bright colors and wearing vibrant clothing.
While serving a term on the City Council, Madison died of cancer in 2011, at age 54.
Public art on outside
Visitors are greeted outside the entrance with a noticeable piece of public art, a wall-covering piece called “Circuit,” for which artist Erik Carlson received a $165,000 commission from the city. The installation includes LED lights that are connected to equipment in the weight room and will change colors as the linked machine is used.
East of the building, a public plaza includes gathering areas as well as a bouldering rock that invites visitors to climb it.
Designed by Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture and built by Adolfson & Peterson Construction, the project has been expanded in scope and budget several times, with support from Mayor Michael Hancock.
Additions to the original design included a rooftop event space and a climbing wall with an auto-belay system — a braking apparatus for climbing lines — that’s on a balcony.
Before construction began, the city had used the site as a popular dog park. Soon, a new dog park is set to open on the northwest part of the property.
Pool areas on garden level
Visitors enter the rec center on the second floor, which contains the check-in desk, administrative offices, a “child watch” facility and a multipurpose community room. From balconies along the main hallway, the pool areas are visible below, on a garden level.
On the north end of the building is a lap pool with eight lanes, which East High’s swim team plans to use for practice. Closer to East Colfax is a children’s play area that — with a lazy river, tube slide and splash pools, as well as big water features — is more a kidsize water park than a pool.
Large cardio/weight room
One of the challenges of a multifloor rec center will be keeping tabs on what’s going on, Martinez says. So the building includes 47 security cameras to help staff keep tabs on the place.
That’s less of a challenge on the wide-open third floor, which houses a fullsize basketball court (with sideways practice courts), a cardio/weight room with a two-story ceiling and access to the outdoor climbing wall. That feature is likely to be open only at certain times, Martinez said, given the need for staff monitoring.
Upper floors: Fitness room and rooftop deck
On the fourth floor, group fitness classes will use a room with a view — as well as a garage door on the western windows that can make it open-air.
And on the fifth floor, the rooftop event space has a large gathering room, again with a garage door, a catering kitchen and a deck that has the best views of the city and the mountains.
The top floor won’t be open to the public, but it will be available for rent — and might be perfect for a small-to-medium wedding and reception.
Cost of membership
The Carla Madison Recreation Center is expected to be most popular in Denver’s 28-facility system, with 31,000 projected users each month, Martinez said.
Memberships will be at Denver parks’ “regional center” level, the costliest of three tiers. That level provides access to any rec center, with a pass costing $30.75 a month or $332.10 a year for adults, with a day pass costing $6. The city offers a cheaper memberships for young adults and free access to residents 18 or younger.
Starting Jan. 2, the city is launching the MY Denver PRIME program, which will allow free access to recreation centers for residents 60 and older.