Park Township wants to hear from residents on 'look and feel' of new community center

PARK TWP. — Park Township’s new community center initiative, Gather Park Township, has scheduled another event to garner input May 21.

The workshop comes two months after a community open house saw more than 100 participants explore ideas for a potential new center.

The original Park Township Community Center was built in 1937. The building was expanded and upgraded over the years, most recently in 1992. It hosted a range of activities — including athletics, recreation groups and rental spaces for events — but was destroyed in a fire in July 2022 .

The upcoming event will give township officials the opportunity to report findings from the community survey, focus groups, youth outreach and open house, while hosting a "look and feel" workshop where attendees can vote on reference images of different ideas.

“Participants will have 20 dots they can use on images they like and a different color dot for things they don't like,” said Len Pilon, who serves on the project committee. "We'll also have people there taking comments regarding things they didn't see, but would like to see."

Pilon said the public’s views and opinions are appreciated and will drive the process.

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"The message we want to share is first one of gratitude for the community having the interest and taking the time to participate and be part of this journey as we start to develop what this looks like," Pilon said. "This is really a community-driven approach and their participation and their ideas and their thoughts are really what shape the future of what this community center will be."

Residents are invited to the visioning event from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, at West Ottawa High School's North Cafeteria, 3685 Butternut Drive.

Learn more at gather.parktownship.org .

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Park Township wants to hear from residents on 'look and feel' of new community center