Batavia Park District Dish: Eastside Center receives some TLC

More than ever this year, the Batavia Park District has been reflecting on the major milestones over the years since the 1969 inception. The humble beginnings boasted only 2 staff members, 3 parks, and the Civic Center as the sole facility. It’s fair to say we’ve certainly come a long way with 40 park sites, 23 facility structures, and nearly 400 acres.

Undoubtedly, acquiring the Eastside Community Center from Holy Cross Church in 1995 was a big part of the park district puzzle. By the early 1990s, the district was in desperate need for additional programming space. With community support and a successful referendum, the Batavia Park District took ownership and began transforming the building from a church to a community center. The doors officially opened to the public in 1996 as a district facility and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

The facility is currently home to Shannon Hall, J. Murphy Gym, New Horizons Preschool, administrative offices, as well as hundreds of programs and countless events. A lot of special care goes into maintaining a historic facility and nearly 25 years later, the building was in need of some major upgrades.

2016 marked the beginning of a three year renovation project, starting with Shannon Hall roof replacement, followed by the parking lot expansion and repaving in 2018, and the relocation and replacement of the preschool playground. The playground will have select hours open to the public.

With strong support from the park board, summer 2019 began renovations to include the replacement of the roof, windows and doors, and a brand new certified commercial kitchen.

“We have to figure out a way to work with our existing facilities to serve the public’s needs,” stated Capital Development Director, Jim Eby.  “The kitchen adds a whole new aspect for our programs and rentals beyond weddings.”

The staff is excited about the new classroom kitchen and is looking forward to offering more cooking related programs to both kids and adults starting this fall. Sometime next year, the district will also begin offering commercial kitchen rentals to local businesses and organizations.

The Eastside Community Center will reopen to the public on Sept. 3 and the public is invited to a special playground dedication will take place on Sept. 14 at the conclusion of the Batavia Road Rally. Taking a tour of the facility to check out the new amenities is highly recommended.

The Eastside Community Center is located at 14 N. Van Buren St.