Photo by Shawn ArrajjExpected to open the first week of October, the Richard & Meg Weekley Community Center will be located in the growing residential area of Yaupon Ranch off Greenhouse Road. The center's construction is a part of a larger ongoing park project for Harris County Precinct 3.
The center, at 21,000 square feet, will be the largest in Precinct 3 to date, said Belinda Price, director of community centers for the precinct. Many of the programs and activities at the center will be finalized as county officials get a better idea of the demographics that are using it.
"At our other community centers we have yoga, arts and crafts, educational classes and presentations from the county and district attorney offices as well as health screenings," she said. "We will formulate our classes and schedules according to what we see are the most popular groups occupying the space. We hope to have offerings for youths as well."
The center will feature a large multi-purpose room that can seat 500 people, classrooms, a library and a hospitality room where people can visit and have coffee. The facility could also be used as an early voting location this October, Price said.
The center's hours have not been finalized, but Price said they will likely be from 8 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. on Saturdays. Readers can contact Price at 713-981-1251 with any questions.
Community park
At 190 acres, the Richard & Meg Weekley Community Park will be developed over the next three years, said Mike McMahan, special activities coordinator with Precinct 3.
The most recent additions include a playground and picnic area installed to the north of the community center. Harris County Flood Control is beginning work in September on a large detention area directly behind the community center, expected to take one year to complete.
"It will be wet bottom detention, which is great for wildlife," McMahan said. "Deeper depressions that stay wet all the time provide an aquatic habitat for songbirds."
The most southern end of Longenbaugh will feature a restroom, parking lot and exercise area, McMahan said.
"There will be immediate access to the west bank of the detention area and a functional walking/jogging trail between the community center and exercise area," he said.
The exercise and restroom project is under construction and is expected to be complete by the first quarter of 2015, McMahan said. Once open, the park's hours will likely be from 7 a.m. to dusk, he said.
The name for the park was chosen by Commissioner Steve Radack to honor Meg and Richard Weekley, whom have contributed to various park projects in the Greater Houston area, including Hermann Park, Trees for Houston and Park People.
For more information, see the Sept. 18 edition of Community Impact Newspaper.
