AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Aurora’s newest, biggest and most expensive recreation center is currently being built. It was paid for lock stock and barrel from the city’s marijuana sales tax revenue. One thing the recreation center does not have yet is a name.
Sitting smack dab in the middle of Aurora’s 600-acre Reserve Community Park, the 76,000 square-foot facility will be serving a growing city.
“As the city grows and our population increases we are seeing a lot more emphasis being put on our parks and recreational facilities so this is actually going to be our fifth full-service recreation center within the city of Aurora,” Erin Pulliam with City of Aurora special events said.
Right now the only people working out at the rec center are construction workers as the target date for opening is early next year, spring 2023.
One feature that Saunders Construction says is unique to the structure is the roof, “It actually has a curvature to it, to replicate the rolling hills of this area, and no other rec center that we have built has this beautiful architectural feature,” Teena Bergstrand with Saunders Construction said.
And another unique feature about the recreational center is all $40 million was paid for by consumers of cannabis.
“Similar to our Central Recreational Center that we opened in 2019, this project, this recreation center, is also fully funded by marijuana tax revenue,” Pulliam said.
Whether one is for or against legalized marijuana, if it was not for the marijuana sales tax in Aurora this project would be up in smoke.