Hundreds of Westwood neighborhood residents and community members looked on Saturday morning as Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and other officials broke ground on a new, $55 million recreation center.

The project, which Johnson noted was 17 years in the making, aims to be the first recreational hub in a neighborhood that has had a lengthy history with not only youth and adult obesity, according to the City of Denver website, but also with poverty and violent crime.

“It is very important for kids to be able to have this place so they can be involved in good activities such as sports and fitness, and feel like they belong in their community,” said Andre Rodriguez, who has been part of the Westwood community since 2014 and started campaigning for the project at just 14 years old.

The site plan for the center, at the corner of Morrison Road and Walsh Place in Westwood, details a hub for community engagement with a wide range of amenities, featuring multiple swimming pools, a turf field, a gymnasium, a children’s playground and community gardens.

Additionally, the near-40,000 square foot center will have a fitness studio, a weight room, kitchens for cooking classes and a place for parents to drop their kids off while using the facility, said Denver Parks and Recreation Executive Director Jolon Clark.

“Our rec centers are more than just places for working out; they are community hubs,” Clark said. “We know this center will serve as a hub in this neighborhood for decades to come.”

After Johnston, Clark, Torres and community members involved in the project gave individual speeches, they lined up with hard hats and shovels, each tossing a small, ceremonial pile of dirt in front of the the site, which has already begun excavation.

Much of the funding for the center came through the Elevate Denver Bond program, a 2017 initiative approved by voters to provide a 10-year $937 million general obligation bond that directed funds to infrastructure projects, according to the project fact sheet. The initiative has funded nearly 500 completed projects, according to the City of Denver website.

“This is a transformational day for Westwood and a historic day for Denver, Johnston said. “This is going to not only create a place for every resident to gather, it’s also going to recognize and celebrate the values that this community wanted to be represented here.”

In addition to amenities for the Westwood community, the center will also be environmentally sustainable, using only electricity and geothermal energy to heat and power the building, according to Clark.

“This is going to be one of the most sustainable, environmentally friendly buildings the city of Denver has ever built, Clark said. “There will be no gas, no burning of those fossil fuels coming in to heat or cool the recreation center.”

Construction of the center is expected to be completed by the summer of 2027, according to the information sheet.