Virginia Beach Issues Go-Ahead for New Rec Center

The notice to proceed with the construction of the Bow Creek Community Recreation Center, located at 3427 Clubhouse Road, was awarded to McKenzie Construction, and construction is underway. The Bow Creek Golf Course will remain open and available for play during the recreation center construction. The new Bow Creek Community Recreation Center and Bow Creek Neighborhood Park are scheduled to open to the public in December 2014.

The new, energy efficient Bow Creek Community Recreation Center will be 67,743 square feet. It will house an indoor swimming pool with play components and four 25-yard lap lanes; a 2-court indoor gymnasium; expanded fitness areas; locker rooms with family changing areas; a youth game room; early childhood care rooms with a playground; and meeting rooms. Stormwater management systems on the property will be improved to help control flooding and improve water quality.

The golf pro shop and cart storage will no longer share building space within the recreation center. The permanent cart storage facility has been erected. A temporary golf pro shop has been installed, and a new, permanent golf pro shop will be built. There will also be some improvements made to the golf course driving range. The Bow Creek Golf Course will remain open and available for play during the recreation center construction.

Citizens are reminded that all other Virginia Beach community recreation centers remain open during this time as well, including the newest facility, Williams Farm Community Recreation Center located at 5252 Learning Circle.

The design and construction of the new Bow Creek Community Recreation Center and the Bow Creek Golf Course pro shop and cart storage is budgeted to cost just under $28 million. A majority of the funding, $25 million, is funded through the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) project 4-505. In addition, $600,000 was allocated from Public Works’s CIP for stormwater system enhancements. In June, Virginia Beach City Council authorized the transfer of $2.2 million left over from the construction of the Williams Farm Community Recreation Center (CIP 4-071) to the Bow Creek CIP.

For more information about the new Bow Creek Community Recreation Center, contact Barbara Duke at (757) 385-4310 or email BDuke@VBgov.com. Status updates will be posted to www.VBgov.com/bowcreek as they become available.

Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation’s vision is a balanced, sustainable and value-focused system of parks, recreation and public spaces that creates a sense of community.  We are accredited by CAPRA, the certifying agency of the National Recreation and Park Association. For more information, call (757) 385-1100 (TTY: 711 Virginia Relay), visit VBgov.com/parks or sign up for our email newsletters at VBgov.com/eNews.