Activities galore at new Aztlan Center

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

The facility is ready, the staff is ready, and soon the heart and soul of the Northside Aztlan Community Center--the people who love the place-- will be filling new spaces with sports, music, art and just plain fun.

There's bound to be some nostalgia about the old Aztlan Center built in 1978, which was scheduled to be demolished in early October to make room for a new parking lot. However, few will likely miss the elbow-to-elbow crowds at sporting events.

The new $10 million center, operated by the Fort Collins Parks and Recreation Department, opens Oct. 1 with classes and team sports for all ages. Drop-in activities will be available by mid-month, and a grand opening will be scheduled in late November, according to area recreation manager Steve Budner, who's in charge of the new facility.

Hours at the new center are Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

A full lineup of programs is listed in the Fall 2007 Recreator, the city's recreation catalog. The Recreator is available at Fort Collins libraries, Edora Pool and Ice Center, the Mulberry Pool, the Senior Center and the recreation office at 214 N. Howes St. It's also available online at www.fcgov.com/recreator. To register for activities, people may go to any of the city's recreation facilities, call 221-6640 or go online.

The new Aztlan Center is triple the size of the old facility. The 50,000-square-foot building has three full-sized gyms, a large fitness area, a game room, computer area and four classrooms. With the added space, there are more after-school programs for youth and additional offerings in dance, children's fitness and arts and crafts. Free tutoring takes place Monday through Thursday after school, with no drop-in fee charged.

The Aztlan budget has grown significantly with the added space. While the current budget for the center is $410,000, the 2008-2009 budget is expected to approach $1 million.

However, no new staff positions were created. The city's recreation department was reorganized earlier this year, Budner said, and some staff were moved from the Youth Activity Center and other recreation sites to the new Aztlan Center. Before assuming his new post, Budner ran the city's adult recreation programs, including those at the Senior Center, Club Tico and the Pottery Studio in City Park.

Membership is not required to use the NACC. For drop-in programs such as basketball, volleyball and flag football, people may pay daily fees or buy punch passes for discount rates. Classes and team sports have set fees for participation. The drop-in fee schedule is as follows: age 0 to 5, free; 6 to 15, $1; 16 to 18, $2; 19 to 59, $4.25; 60 to 84, $3.50; and 85-plus, free.

New programs at Aztlan include a Kids Night Out most Fridays, Family Night once a month, a class called "Spanish for Kids" and hip-hop lessons for teens. There are also weekly card games, a pool league for adults, a free Youth Night each Thursday, and numerous fitness classes from strength training to Shotokan karate. The list goes on and on, with activities for all ages.

The new center also has a lounge for youth and adults, complete with pool tables, vending machines and a big-screen TV.

Youth wrestling, a popular program for many years, begins Oct. 13 at the center, and next summer will see a continuation of the youth basketball league.

Meanwhile, the YAC is still open next to Foothills Mall, but on a more limited basis than before. It serves as an after-school teen center Monday through Friday, when it's open 3 to 5 p.m. for basketball and other gym activities. Cost is $1 per day.

For more information about the new recreation center, people may visit the web page for NACC: www.fcgov.com/north.