The new year will ring in a new era for the Urbana Park District.
After a grand opening/open house on Jan. 4 (noon-2:30 p.m.), UPD’s new Health and Wellness Center will open for good on Jan. 6. The $16.2 million facility is housed at 2002 E. Washington Street, stationed between the Brookens Center and Preston Williams Elementary School.
“We’re super excited,” Corky Emberson, UPD’s superintendent of recreation, said Monday. “It’s going to be a game-changer for our community.”
Some features:
- The gymnasium includes two full-sized basketball courts (or four junior high-sized courts) which also is space for six pickleball courts. The two main basketball courts will also have shot clocks; the IHSA has approved the use of shot clocks for high schools starting in 2026-27. Wallet lockers are available along the sideline, which allow users to bring their own locks or get a key from the front desk.
- A two-lane track that encircles the gym on the second level is available for runners and walkers. That level also features a mural from Urbana’s Langston Allston.
- A feeding/sensory room is available on the first floor for children with sensory needs.
- The second floor includes a cardio room with a variety of machines and a weight room with free weights. Rooms are equipped with bamboo wipes, which are biodegradable and environmentally friendly.
- The entire building is in the process of being equipped with solar panels. Many of the windows are graced with etched glass to protect birds.
- A community room that features ample space for all kinds of meetings and gatherings.
- Signage throughout the building is in English and Spanish.
“The overall theme is You Belong here,” Emberson said. “We wanted to make it artful and warming.”
Fundraising contributed $1.9 million of the total cost. Another $3.1 million came from UPD reserves, and several million more came from a variety of grants.
“It was the biggest fundraising campaign we’ve ever done at the Urbana Park District, and all done during COVID,” Emberson said.
The next phase of UPD’s Weaver Park/Prairie Park master plan includes a spray ground, a playground, a basketball court, a skate park, volleyball court, pickle ball courts and soccer fields. There is no timetable for that phase and is dependent upon fundraising.
A single membership for the Health and Wellness Center is $125 per year. OSF HealthCare has bankrolled a $30,000 scholarship program per year for the next five years.
“We want this facility busy all the time,” Emberson said.
Find more info on the Urbana Park District website.