Consultant to look at future of Lucas County Rec Center

MAUMEE, Ohio (WTVG) - What could the future of the Lucas County Recreation Center look like? A new consultant is about to begin figuring out what’s working there and what’s not.

We do know one thing is going: the stands around the old Ned Skeldon stadium have been deemed unsafe and will be demolished. The entire complex will be reviewed to see what the potential is.

As a Toledo Volleyball Club team prepares for nationals, they’re getting in some extra work at what’s technically called Hall One at the rec center but their hard work and upgrades there make it their home.

“They certainly put in the time and effort whether it’s in the workout areas or in the gym to help keep this place up and certainly improve their skills as well,” said Michael Vern of the Toledo Volleyball Club.

Vern says they’ve improved the floor, lighting, and updated workout facilities. Lucas County leaders are trying to figure out what’s next for the rec center as a whole.

The old Ned Skeldon stadium is bad shape, the grandstands will be removed in the next few months. Most every other space sees activity including the youth baseball and softballs fields.

“There are thousands and thousands of users still at the rec center. With that said it would be very difficult for me think that we wouldn’t want to continue with some level of recreation to meet the needs of our community,” said Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak.

Some Maumee leaders, including the mayor, have asked the property to have housing, which the city badly needs. As the county waits for the assessment, commissioner Skeldon Wozniak says sports is still the number one priority.

“I don’t think we should turn our back recreation. We have to explore what we can do and does it make sense and is it affordable,” said Skeldon Wozniak.

The Lucas County Fair board leases property here with a long term agreement. The fairgrounds will be studied too but the focus will be on recreation. Potentially building on the hard work of organizations like this.

“Just an incredible impact on just the interest of the sport and the game but an interest in the community and what it helps bring,” said Varn.

The hope is to have this report completed and back to the county in September.

The company doing the analysis is called Sports Facilities Companies. They’re based out of Florida with projects all over the country which includes the Cedar Point Sports Park in Sandusky.

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