The Medina Community Recreation Center has wrapped up renovations in several areas of the facility, including new anti-slip flooring and ultraviolet filtration in its pools, and Parks and Recreation Director Jansen Wehrley is inviting residents to come see the results for themselves. The 110,000-square-foot facility typically closes for about a week late each summer for its annual deep cleaning, and this year's shutdown also included work on those renovations.
According to Cleveland.com, workers used the closure to install new anti-slip tile and slip-resistant flooring in neutral tones, swap out entrance rugs for easily replaceable carpet squares, and finish a redesigned lobby and front desk meant to improve traffic flow and help staff greet guests more efficiently. The same report says crews also renovated the aerobics room and cleaned the competition pool, leisure pool, and spa. Perhaps the most notable addition is a new ultraviolet filtration system in the pools, which officials say will cut down on the chlorine smell, reduce corrosion in the pool environment, and save the center money over time.
A 23-Year-Old Building Built for Growth
The rec center opened in 2003 under an unusual arrangement that still defines how it runs today: the building is owned by Medina City Schools but operated entirely by the City of Medina, per the Medina Gazette. That joint structure traces back to October 2020, when city leadership merged the recreation center with the Medina Parks Department into a single department under Wehrley, following the previous rec center director's resignation, the Gazette reports. Original architect Fanning Howey designed both Medina High School and the rec center in 2002 with structural footprints intentionally built to allow future exterior expansions as community demand grew, the outlet notes.
That built-in flexibility has paid off repeatedly. The center had a planned 1,800-square-foot fitness center addition approved in late 2022, a $700,000 project backed by a $350,000 grant from Ohio House Bill 687 along with city carry-forward funds, the Gazette's reporting shows. Facebook video posted by the recreation center in August 2026 credits local contractor National Design Mart with the extensive interior tile and flooring work, while Titan Construction and Repair handled the initial redesign phase of the front desk and administrative offices.
Council Actions Paved the Way
City council action has also been discussed in connection with this year's changes. The available source material does not document the cited June 2025 council action or a $150,000 main locker-room overhaul paid for by the recreation center. It also does not document specific improvements such as new tile flooring, shower partitions, and restroom upgrades. The city has discussed raising general day pass rates by $2 per person.
The facility's field house includes four full-size basketball courts, a jogging and walking track, and senior and toddler and preschool programs, according to Visit Medina County.
City officials say they hope visitors will appreciate the improvements made at the center, and Wehrley has extended an open invitation for residents to stop by and see the changes in person. Taken together, the new flooring, pool filtration, and lobby redesign are among the changes made at the center over several years.
