by G. Sax (@gsax)
Uh, oh. Time to grow up. They're tearing down my childhood.
The City of Saint Paul is closing Front Recreation Center. They're also closing Prosperity and Sylvan, two rec centers I didn't spend much time at so I can't express the same sweetness sorrow. But Sylvan was the Packers to our Vikings, the A's to our Twins, the bad guys. It's fitting that we die together.
The day of reckoning is December 31; demolition will occur in 2010. In place of the outmoded buildings, plans call for updated restrooms and improved sports fields, which isn't a terrible thing.
The official line is that Saint Paul Parks and Recreation are going to focus efforts on quality over quantity. Which means North Dale Rec Center is going to get even richier rich (a comment that will make sense to those from Front and Sylvan if not the kids from North Oaks and Edina).
The stewards of these facilities haven't kept up with what kids want in their neigborhood rec center. I still see tons of kids going to Front. Whenever it's somewhat dry, hot or cold, there are dozens working the skateboard ramps. More of that might've helped Front. Maybe grassier soccer fields. How about a playground that doesn't promise the surprise of shredding old driftwood by the handrails to the slide.
It's been a number of years since I set foot inside Front, but it was my home away from home for several key years. It's where I played Little League baseball and Pee Wee football. Floor hockey in the gym, movie night in the back room, tag without touching the sand in the playground, Winter Carnival Junior Royalty, and a place to find girls that were willing to kiss me.
Or more fun to read about: Taking a broken swingset chain to the face, taking a few solid punches to the face from various bootcut street toughs, and taking a miniature dodgeball to the face from John Strecker, who would go on to become a starting pitcher for the high school several years later.
Saint Paul has closed nearly 20 centers in the last five years because of budget cuts and will now get by with just 25 rec centers remaining. The city's website still falsely boasts 33 city-operated recreation centers which "provide our residents with a place in their neighborhood to learn and recreate."
Mine did.
