Politics & Government

Rec Center Proposal Worries Hampden Residents

Members of the Hampden Recreation Council fear if the city doesn't find a partner to operate the center it could be closed.

A plan calling for 46 of 55 city-owned recreation centers to find potential partners to help run and operate them is drawing criticism from Hampden residents.

The Roosevelt Recreation Center is one of the centers that Baltimore officials hope can find an organization to operate it. But during an emergency meeting of the recreation council on Monday, members openly worried the center could be closed if a collaborator or partner can’t be found.

“The fear is that they take money and they put it in the wrong places,” said Lisa Meyers, a Roosevelt Recreation Council member.

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Members of the Roosevelt Recreation Center Council said they are deeply troubled by the proposal and intend to protest at the facility Oct. 5, as well as start a petition to keep the center open.

Meyers said the protest won’t be just about the Roosevelt Recreation Center, but about all of the city’s recreation centers.

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“It’s not just a Roosevelt thing. We’re being the voice for the rec centers without rec councils,” Meyers said.

The deadline for an organization interested in operating a recreation center to respond to the city’s request for proposals is Oct. 5.

Bill Tyler, bureau chief of recreation, said it’s unclear what will happen with recreation centers that do not receive responses through the city’s request for proposals.

“I know people want to know, ‘Will it be open? Will it be closed?’ I can’t tell you that right now,” Tyler said.

He said that the city has to work within its budget, but still remains committed to providing neighborhoods services. However, he said the city must provide those services in a way that is safe for residents and staff.

Some recreation centers have been operating with only one employee and that no business can operate that way, he said. Tyler did stress that no one is in danger of losing their jobs.

“We’re not trying to hide any thing. The bottom line is economics,” Tyler said.

Members of the Roosevelt Recreation Council expressed interest in the council possibly taking over operation of the building, but said the city’s requirements were too much for the council to handle.

Some of the requirements for an operator to take over a recreation center include providing up to $2 million in liability insurance, $2 million of sexual abuse insurance as well as providing $120,000 for salary and benefits for two employees at the center.

Tyler said that is the cost of operating a recreation center and that the requirements are stringent, but that the operation of a center should not be taken lightly.  

Other recreation centers in North Baltimore the city wants to find partners to operate are the Medfield Recreation Center, the Barclay Recreation Center, the Walter P. Carter Recreation Center and DeWees Recreation Center.

The proposals for recreation centers come from a Recreational Task Force appointed by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. The rec center proposal also includes expanding 10 buildings as community centers and opening four new or substantially renovated centers.

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, who represents parts of Hampden, was critical of the proposal.

The longtime councilwoman said the community should focus on keeping the Roosevelt Recreation Center as opposed to taking on the city’s plan.

“Lets not worry about [the city’s] plan because they don’t have one. Lets worry about Roosevelt Recreation Center,” Clarke said Monday night.


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