URBANA, IL (Chambana Today) – The Urbana Park District’s (UPD) new Health and Wellness Center is nearing its grand opening, with the facility set to fully open to the public in January 2025. Located at 2002 E. Washington St., the $16 million facility will offer a wide range of amenities, including an indoor track, cardio and strength training rooms, and courts for basketball, volleyball, and pickleball. There is a sensory-friendly break room, as well as community meeting and party rooms available for rental. The center also plans to provide a variety of fitness classes designed to reflect the diverse needs of the community.
This project was funded through a combination of private donations, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants from Champaign County and the City of Urbana, $3.2 million in Park District property tax reserves, and contributions from the Urbana Parks Foundation. The facility is still seeking donations from the public to expand programming and facility needs, such as a “spray ground,” a skate park, and a playground. They would also like to add outdoor pickleball courts in Weaver Park, which all requires additional parking on the grounds.
In November, OSF HealthCare Heart of Mary Medical Center announced a five-year, $150,000 partnership with the UPD Health & Wellness Center. OSF will provide $30,000 annually over five years, funding $150,000 in memberships for the Urbana Park District’s Health and Wellness Center.
Jameel Jones, the Park District’s outreach and wellness manager, talked about the ways the Urbana Park District reaches residents throughout the community. “We have our mobile rec unit that we will take out into the community for play dates throughout the spring and summer and even through the fall…this is another way for us to go out into the community to educate people about this facility and the offerings that will be provided here.”
Corky Emberson, the Superintendent of Recreation for the Urbana Park District, discussed ways the community partners can use the facilities to meet. “Our outreach and wellness initiatives have helped us gather partnerships. That community room downstairs is going to be a good opportunity, because a lot of those partners don’t have meeting space. They can come here to do their meetings, have a community event, or have activities that they couldn’t do in the past.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at noon on January 4, 2025, with the center’s official opening date of January 6.
Kern McCalla, UPD’s Outreach and Wellness Coordinator, says the facility has the capability to interact with members in English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin. She hopes that can help community outreach. “We’d love to offer school physicals and blood drives here. Our goal is to cover wellness in all aspects of our members’ lives: emotional, spiritual, financial, and physical.”
For more information about the center, including membership options, visit the Urbana Park District’s site or call 217.255.8601 for additional details.
