Residents of Detroit's southernmost neighborhood are celebrating the re-opening of their recreation center after the city's multi-million dollar renovation of the facility.
The Boynton neighborhood, located at Detroit's southern border, is a wedge tucked between the cities of Melvindale and River Rouge. It's there where the city recently completed a $9.5 million renovation of that community's Kemeny Recreation Center.
Renovations include new multi-purpose rooms, sports and fitness facilities, a kitchen, parking lot, and electrical, mechanical, and roof systems. Kemeny was also treated to a major expansion with the construction of a new gymnasium, growing over 8,000 square feet in size.
Renovations began mid-2017. A renovation of adjacent Kemeny Park was completed that year.
"We know how important Kemeny has been to this community because of its history and the recreational opportunities it has offered to the residents in this area," says Mayor Mike Duggan.
"Now, thanks to this beautiful renovation and expansion, the Kemeny Recreation Center will be here for generations of families living in southwest Detroit."
The rec center is named for Charles Kemeny, a Detroit native killed in combat in France in World War II in August 1944. Relatives were on hand for the ribbon cutting celebrating the re-opening.
The facility opened in 1957 and was considered the oldest Detroit rec center without a major renovation. The city closed Kemeny in 2015 with the intention of building a new recreation center in the neighborhood before it then deemed a renovation was more viable.
The nearby Marathon Petroleum company donated $2 million to the renovations.
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