Renovated Lincoln Center a source of pride

• Reprints

Highland, Ind., recently celebrated the reopening of the Lincoln Community Center. Among the activities was a demonstration of the center's Body Pump class. | Supplied photo

IF YOU GO

For more information about the new Lincoln Community Center, call (219) 838-0114 or visit the website www.highlandparks.org.

Article Extras

Updated: February 21, 2012 2:03PM

HIGHLAND — The rebuilding of Lincoln Community Center was a long time coming, especially when the Highland Parks and Recreation Board realized the large amounts of money going toward keeping up the 65-year-old building.

“Each year, we called it, ‘the Rite of Spring,’ ” laughed park board secretary Tom Arnold, referring to the patchwork projects needed. “We were tired of the repairs. There was always something to be done — electrical, plumbing, roofing, etc. We were throwing good money after bad.”

Those frustrations have ended. Along with other town officials and hundreds of visitors, Arnold recently attended the opening of the renovated Lincoln Center.

“This is very nice; there’s a lot of regional pride here,” said George Vande Werken as he toured the center. “I’ve lived in Highland for 37 years, and I believe it’s important for a community to reinvest in itself. It makes residents appreciate what we have here in our own backyard.”

The former structure opened as Lincoln Elementary School in 1946 and closed in 1982. A few years later, it was deeded to the Parks Department in a land swap with the town.

It soon became a neighborhood place for senior citizens to walk, people to meet for classes, and a host to many community events. In 1998, a fieldhouse was added.

More activities meant more people visiting. Birthday parties and wedding showers were conducted in the old classrooms; exercise sessions were added to the schedule.

As the popularity of Lincoln Center grew, people also came from communities outside Highland.

“This is a good, central location in Northwest Indiana; I’ve come to many doings here,” said Jeannie Martin of Schererville as she toured the new center. “I’ve never seen a community center this large and with so many options.”

Recently, Park Department officials felt the entrance to the center should be updated, as it didn’t reflect what was going on inside.

“We didn’t believe the entrance represented us well,” Arnold said. “The front of the building looked the same as it did when I graduated from Lincoln School in 1964.”

Highland neighbors Norene Gragido and Barbara Dmytrasz visited during the open house. They frequently use the walking track and have participated in some of the classes.

“I am overwhelmed by this project,” Gragido said. “The new construction shows growth and progress for the town of Highland.”

Dmytrasz agreed.

“This is a big star for our town,” she said. “I was very impressed to see what it was to what it has become.”

Makiah Myles, 10, already takes gymnastic classes at the center, but also became interested in table tennis, as she tried a few a games during an open house demonstration.

“I enjoy gymnastics, but I’d like to try the table tennis, too,” she said. “It looks a little hard, but I know I can learn it.”

The $11.2 million project was paid for by bond issues and took about 18 months to complete. Dewberry Architects and The Skillman Corp. worked with the Parks Department. The fieldhouse and old gym area are the only parts of the old center that were left intact. The rest is new construction.

The fieldhouse continues to offer walking, gymnastics classes and various community events; the old gym has become a banquet room seating up to 350 people.

A state-of-the-art fitness center, locker room, day-care center, four classrooms and two exercise rooms also are housed in the building. Dozens of programs for adults and children are offered.