Tuesday July 9 Fremont City Council approved construction of a new Community Center at Fremont’s Central Park. The new building will replace the permanently closed Fremont Community Center and deteriorating Teen Center buildings.
The effort is the first phase of the Central Park Community Center (CPCC) project. The CCPCC will include a gymnasium, classrooms for art, recreation and education programs, a banquet hall for larger indoor events and celebrations, a full-service kitchen, outdoor plaza spaces, and improvements to access and parking.
2,600 Fremont residents provided input for the future Lake Elizabeth complex. Opinions were gathered at project planning meetings, local events, online and at the Main Library. The people of Fremont identified these priorities:
· Support for programs and activities related to health and fitness, community gatherings, and arts and crafts.
· Site amenities to include markets and fairs, walking paths, and social spaces.
· Architectural design that reflects nature, fitting into the park context and use of natural/earthy materials like wood and stone.
The CPCC will offer views of Lake Elizabeth, Mission Peak and the surrounding hills. The proposed project is located adjacent to the Fremont Main Library, at the corner of Stevenson Boulevard and Paseo Padre Parkway.
The new gym will house an exercise/fitness studio. An indoor café will complement the complex lobby. Construction of a new outdoor amphitheater on the CPCC grounds will provide a new venue for performances, storytelling and civic engagement.
The new community center complex (CPCC) will accomplish the goals of the City of Fremont 2022 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Priorities of the Plan were to modernize and expand facilities for recreation and community activities.
It is anticipated that the community center will begin construction in 2025 and be completed in 2027. An assortment of state, federal and other funds contributed to the $35.5 million project cost. The vote at the July 9 Council meeting was unanimous with Councilman Yang Shao absent.
