KERNERSVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) — The brand new $18 million Recreation and Event Center in Kernersville is almost ready to open. It sits at the corner of Union Cross and Shields Roads.
The events and activities that could happen in the space are endless, but they want to create a good balance of welcoming visitors for tournaments and keeping their community active every day.
Inside the building, just about everything has multiple purposes so that the possibilities for the space can keep evolving over time.
“It is a statement piece to everybody for folks that might have underestimated Kernersville for years,” Kernersville Parks and Recreation Department Director Ernie Pages said.
It’s been a 20-year journey for Pages to bring this facility to his community.
“When I started here in 2002, it was the back of a fire station with two bays … Basically the rec center, and we have grown to this. I reflect back on the journey of it all,” Pages said.
He can’t wait to show everyone around. There are classrooms for programming, rentable rooms for parties and meetings and a fitness room with an attached patio for yoga outside on nice days. All of the rooms have boxes on the floor to adapt to the growing trend of Esports.
There is also a dual gym for big tournaments. There is space for basketball, volleyball and pickleball courts and dividers so several games can go at once.
“We are trying to bring as much different stuff as we can to spark that weekend tourism to town,” Pages said.
There is also a stage and dressing room in that space.
The final area is the championship gym and elevated walking track above.
“My main focus: what can we do for the community … We are going to currently maintain all programming we were offering before. We were kind of limited on space back then, so we will be able to expand those hopefully,” Kernersville Recreations Superintendent Cady Ray said.
There will be hours during the week and on some weekends where the community can come in for free to use the track and open gym.
There will be space accessible for wheelchairs, walkers and strollers.
“We are able to accommodate and adapt every room that we need to for everyone to be able to participate,” Ray said.
The parks and recreation team asks for your patience as they all navigate this new facility together.
“Things will change. It is not always going to stay the same. We will grow with programs that we offer. We will grow with options that we have,” Kernersville Recreation Facility Manager Adam Carpenter said.
The grand opening is expected next month then the regular programming starts up in the new year. The first big event will be a wrestling tournament.
