Community Courts Project
Project Background
The proposed facility will be built by the City on Green Local School property in concert with the new school facilities plan.
Mayor Gerard Neugebauer initially discussed his vision for the Green Community Courts at his State of the City Address in January 2022. The Community Courts would combine physical activity space for the new Green Middle School with open public space: providing indoor walking tracks and multi-purpose courts and rooms designed to promote an active lifestyle for our youth, adult and senior populations.
This collaboration between Green Local Schools and the City of Green is a key element of the new school facilities plan that will allow the schools to prioritize levy funds for classroom and instructional space, while city resources are used to create the active space needed in the community.
The city will build the Community Courts by exploring the use of a combination of funds from the General Fund and the City’s Parks and Recreation Capital Fund, which by city charter receives 7% of the city’s income tax revenues.
According to an evaluation conducted by the Ohio Facilities Construction Committee (OFCC), three of Green Local School's five school buildings are in need of expensive repairs that are not financially viable. Although the district has done all it can to maintain these properties, it is no longer cost effective to do so. The State of Ohio has committed to paying up to 25% of the cost to construct the new school buildings.
Location
The Community Courts are proposed to be constructed in the location of the existing Green intermediate School, which is conveniently located next to Green Central Park, Green Memorial Stadium, and other sports and recreational facilities. This location provides plenty existing parking, however, additional parking is included in the scope of the project.
Conceptual Floor Plan - April 2022
Conceptual Floor Plan
The Community Courts have been proposed to fit the needs of the Green Local Schools and the community. During school hours, the building will be divided between schools and community with physical security barriers separating the two. After school hours, the entire facility can be opened for community use.
The first conceptual floor plan features 4 basketball courts, which convert to an equivalent number of volleyball courts, or 12 pickleball courts. All included in the layout are two walking tracks and multipurpose rooms to be used for recreation programming, senior activities, or as rentable space.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are considering options to include a turf field in this facility; however, a private entity is working diligently to open an indoor/outdoor complex in Green anticipating opening in 2023.
The current floor plan is a concept, which can be difficult to see the true space. We are currently waiting to hear what the capacity is for the retractable bleachers as illustrated in the floor plan. The current Middle School gym comfortably seats 400 people.
For our youth leagues, we need additional courts to meet their capacity requirements. It also allows us to host tournaments and events. With the removal of the Middle School and Intermediate school, we lose two gym spaces. The proposed courts replace those 2 gyms and provide 2 additional gyms in our community.
There is already planned physical separation between the school side and public side during school hours to ensure safety and security of all.
The facility would be limited to Green residents and those participating in Green sports organizations or tournaments.
We have not determined what the cost structure would be for using the facility.
The City is looking to partner with the YMCA or other organizations to staff and manage the facility.
We are at the very beginning of the process. The next step is to select an architect and begin design. Throughout the entire process, there will be multiple opportunities for community input. Construction will be several years away and will be determined based on many factors including the new school buildings construction timeline.
No. The facility will be constructed on the site of the existing Intermediate School. Parking will remain and even expanded.