Olympian Matt Ghaffari (l) with Mentor Community Recreation Center Facility Manager Nick Standering (r).
The city of Mentor operates 15 parks spanning over 1,200 acres that offer both active and passive amenities. The city also operates a variety of recreational facilities including an ice arena, senior center, golf course, marina, and more.
The latest addition to the city’s portfolio of fun is the Mentor Community Recreation Center (MCRC).
The former Heisley Racquet and Fitness Club (HRFC) was purchased by the city in late 2021. The building was closed for a year for a ground-up renovation and reopened in July of last year. Since then, over 120,000 visitors have walked through the door taking advantage of hundreds of recreation programs.
“The city had long held an interest in expanding its ability to offer indoor programming that could serve a large number of participants,” says Mentor City Manager Kenneth J. Filipiak, “The new recreation center adds even more access to quality programming at an affordable price for families.”
At nearly 130,000 square feet, the MCRC is one of the largest facilities of its kind in Northeast Ohio and includes an indoor soccer field, basketball, tennis, racquetball, and pickleball courts, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, cardiovascular and weight training areas, group exercise rooms, a Kids Corner, and more.
Former HRFC members or guests might wonder what’s different today. The answer is, “a lot”.
“The city renovated every square inch of the building. Members can expect new equipment, updated features, and more diverse recreational offerings,” says Recreation Superintendent Nita Justice.
Parks and Recreation Director Kenn Kaminski adds, “A biggest difference is the number of programs that we provide. They’re not just geared for adults; we have programs for everyone from toddlers to seniors.”
Members and non-members of all ages can enjoy a variety of year-round activities including aquatics, fitness and wellness, sports, infant and preschool, youth and teen, adult, older adult, and family programs.
The golf simulator room is one of the most popular new additions which features two state-of-the-art Foresight simulators. Members can rent a simulator by the hour and up to four players can play at a time on each simulator.
A community room has also been added and is available for everything from birthday parties to corporate events. Rentals can range from 2 hours to a full day. “Gym or swim” options are available with half-day rentals so guests can enjoy the pool or use of a reserved recreational court.
“In addition to the updated facility, new members can expect a commitment to superior customer service from a caring and attentive staff,” says Facility Manager Nick Standering, “We want to present a safe, supportive, and clean, environment for our members each and every time they visit.”
So far, the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. As of this writing, the membership tally is over 6,300 single and family memberships consisting of 20,000 individuals. Nearly 15,000 day passes have been sold as well.
But don’t let the numbers detract you from visiting because there is plenty of room for everyone, even at peak hours.
“People who arrive to a full parking lot are pleasantly surprised to see they can usually get right onto a machine,” adds Standering, “The main fitness room has nearly 70 stations including treadmills, ellipticals, recumbent bikes, and more. The free weight area measures over 3,200 SF and features 19 stations. The 1,600 SF circuit training room features 13 pieces of resistance training equipment.”
Standering is also pleased with the frequency of repeat visits he sees from members as well as the friendships that are formed.
One familiar face is that of Matt Ghaffari, an accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler with a silver medal from the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games as well as numerous other medals and titles throughout his career. Now retired, Ghaffari seeks to maintain his fitness as opposed to maxing out his mass at his former competition weight of 280 lbs.
When asked what stands out to him about the MCRC, he immediately responded with “a sense of community”, pointing out old and new friends he’s made at the facility.
“As a retired person and retired athlete, I was looking for comradery,” he says. A long-time member of the HRFC, Ghaffari joined this past January and is very pleased with the changes.
“This building means a lot. My daughter learned to swim here,” he adds, “Everything is new, everything is fixed, everything is clean, and the staff is very nice.”
With less than a year under their belt, the staff at the MCRC have made great strides but still have a way to go to reach their goals. They estimate that they are currently at about 50% of programming capacity which means plenty of room for program growth.
“Bear in mind that every program was started from scratch,” says Kaminski, “One year later, we have 126 soccer teams, 37 pickleball teams, and 8 golf teams competing in their respective leagues and we are working on developing our basketball, flag football, and other leagues as well.
With over 100 employees already on board, they are looking to hire additional staff – especially instructors to help expand their offerings.
“We are always looking for new and innovative ideas to serve our members,” adds Justice, “We’re proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish so far but we’re really excited to see what the next several years brings.”
So, what’s next? The city is currently looking at expanding the facility in 2025 by adding a leisure pool feature that would include depth entry, lap lanes, water slides, geysers, and perhaps a current channel, and a wet room off of the deck space. The project is in the planning stages, so stay tuned!
Family and individual annual membership plans are available for both residents and non-residents. Memberships can be paid in full or through a payment plan. Single-day admission is available for $10.00 per person. Non-members can also participate in recreation programs at the MCRC.
Eligible seniors can enjoy the benefits of the rec center with a free membership through United Healthcare’s Renew Active program. Interested parties are encouraged to contact their health insurance provider for details. SilverSneakers programs are still hosted exclusively at the Mentor Senior Center.
Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 5:30 AM to 10:00 PM, Saturday from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Sunday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
The Mentor Community Recreation Center is located at 6000 Heisley Road. For questions or additional information call (440) 205-3608 or email RecCenter@cityofmentor.com.
Learn more at www.mentorrec.com.