By REBECCA BROOKS | Special to the Reporter 

CHELSEA –  Chelsea residents now have more room for community sports at the newly renovated Chelsea Community Center.

Last year, Chelsea City Council approved a $3.5 million expansion to the community center to provide more room for community sports. Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer said the community needed more gym space for their community sports programs.

The Chelsea Community Center is a multifaceted facility where recreational programs and gyms can be enjoyed. The expansion to the center provided a second gym, new bathrooms, new locker rooms for guests to come work out, change and shower before work as well as two racquetball courts which will double as recreation rooms for homeschooled kids. The additions were added to the back of the community center.

“Our indoor sports community center, mostly kids directly, had outgrown having one gymnasium.” Picklesimer said.

This issue developed last year when the community realized the sports activity at the center was rapidly growing and in need of more space. Volleyball and basketball had grown immensely, and pickle ball teams play there annually. The expansion was approved in August 2022 to provide more room at the frequented center.

“We have a lot of homeschool groups here at the community center and they need a place for their kids to play, a place for physical education and where they can get in and run,” Picklesimer said. “Believe it or not, at the front of our community center, we stay booked all the time. We need meeting space.”

In terms of how this development impacts the growth of the community, Picklesimer said he is thrilled with the new expansion, and what it brings to the city.

“Whenever you’re in a growing city with more residential being added every day, kids come with that,” he said. “Offering a good quality of life and having facilities for citizens to have recreation is one of the primary things we do. It was much needed, and we’re really happy we got it done.”

The Chelsea Community Center is located on 11101 Hwy 47 in Chelsea, and now provides more room for Chelsea residents to play and enjoy their growing community.