NORTHWOOD, Ohio — What once was the site of the Woodville Mall is now a new attraction for Northwood residents: a brand-new community center.
"Walking into this was amazing," said Julie Rightnowar, a fitness instructor at the Northwood Community Center.
The center opened its doors to the public on Monday after two years of construction.
Those who were a part of the process say the people wanted things to do and the city delivered.
"It's been in planning for the past two years," said Patrick McGarahan, Northwood's director of recreation. "We sent a survey out to the residents of Northwood to ask them what they wanted to see, and the No. 1 thing that came back was a pool, splash pad, and a suspended walking track."
The requests came to life, along with a gymnasium, art galleries, a 155-person multipurpose room and fitness areas.
The center is 27,000 square feet and is home to many interests that officials say better the Northwood community.
"Seeing what we have here today is just a great representation of how things change throughout time, so we are able to build a new community hub here in Northwood," said Tiffani Gill-Carew, the city's assistant recreation director.
Construction for the new community center began in 2022.
"It took a year to build, so it's been a lot of work over the last year-and-a-half planning and then actually getting this place up and running," McGarahan said.
Once the center opened, residents were eager to check it out and were pleased to finally see a new chapter in Northwood's story.
"It was nice to see that it actually came to fruition and all the years of having nothing but just an empty parking lot turn into a workout center," said Matt Plessner, a Northwood resident. "It was great."
The center can service more people than just Northwood residents, too, as anyone can apply to be a member.
"This place, for youth, for seniors, for couples, for families, it is really a blessing for Northwood," Rightnowar said. "They are so kind to extend it to even residents that are not Northwood, so it's really, really nice."
Membership types are split into three different categories: yearly, quarterly and monthly. Northwood residents receive a discount on their memberships.
To view a breakdown of the rates, click here.