Former SportsPlex refurbished; open under new management

Basketball star Jared Jeffries and IU basketball coach Tom Crean were on hand Saturday to help with the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Twin Lakes Recreation Center on 2nd Street in Bloomington.

The center, which was formerly the SportsPlex, was purchased by the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department and refurbished before officially reopening Saturday.

“It happened at an unbelievably quick pace,” Parks and Recreation Director Mick Renneisen said. “The citizens showed interest in having it, and we see unlimited potential for the center.”

The department bought the center and renovated the facilities, adding new exercise equipment, putting new turf on the indoor soccer field and improving the bathrooms.

“There were a number of people who said we were crazy and that buying this facility was taking a huge risk,” Mayor Mark Kruzan said. “But this facility is a great amenity for the community, and we wanted it to remain available to the public.”

Kruzan said the center will not require tax money to operate.

“It will be a self-sustaining facility,” he said. “So user fees will pay for it, not taxpayer dollars, which is an amazing achievement.”

The fees are $6 for nonmembers and $5 dollars for anyone 17 and under. Membership fees are $32 a month for adults and $22 for students.

Crean is passionate about the center and what it means for the Bloomington community.

“We have prospects back on campus right now, but I don’t care who’s on campus. I would not have missed this,” Crean said. “Having a facility like this is so important. Bloomington has been an awesome place to get established with my family, and this center has been a part of that.”

Crean’s son Riley plays basketball for the Amateur Athletic Union at the facility.

“This is a place where people can go get better, improve their skills and dream a little bit,” he said. “And we need that in our community, and that is what Bloomington is all about.”

Jeffries, who now plays for the New York Knicks, was also present for the opening celebration and is still active in helping the Bloomington community.

“I’ve been all over the world, and I’ve done a lot of things,” Jeffries said. “But I’ve never forgotten where I came from. Bloomington doesn’t change, and they keep resisting all these outside forces, and that’s important.”

Jeffries, the 2001 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, lead the Hoosiers to the 2002 national championship game before being drafted by the Washington Wizards for the 2002-03 season. 

For Jeffries, Crean and the Parks and Recreation Department, the center is more than just an exercise center.

“It’s important for Bloomington that the center is here for everyone,” Jeffries said. “And now, this building is going to be here for these kids for a long time.”