It’s very easy to forget the services some of our recreational centers around the city have to offer. Just recently my team for our third challenge with non-profit organization Beaumont Health Systems, allowed us the opportunity to explore a hidden community gem on Detroit’s west side. The Adams Butzel Center, located at 10500 Lyndon is one of fourteen recreation centers left in the city.

As the city began to experience financial hardships around 2007-2008, under the Dave Bing administration, one of the first assets that were slashed in order to save as much money as possible were the city’s recreation centers and parks. In 2013, Bing announced the closure of 50 parks across the city of Detroit which left many residents highly frustrated with the decision by then-mayor Dave bing to shuttered these neighborhood recreational centers & parks.

As my team were given a tour of Adams Butzel Recreation Center, I was truly blown away. Adams Butzel has a wide range of activities catered for people of all ages. Basketball (a favorite amongst many of Detroit’s youth), to Arts & Crafts, Swimming (a functioning pool!), and even a youth centered Architecture program. This space literally had every activity you could possibly be interested in!

As we were coming to the conclusion of the tour, I immediately started to have flashbacks of the great times I had at my local recreation center when I was a teen. Cannon Recreational Center on Detroit’s east side was a neighborhood gem in the Morningside/East English Village/Cornerstone community. Many days after school, that was the place many myself and many of my friends spent time at. It was safe, and you could always find a good pickup game of Basketball!

Cannon Recreation Center. My former after-school hangout spot.

Probably one of the best features about Cannon was that it was connected through a breezeway with Finney High School (my former high school). Many students, including myself would never have to venture outside during those cold winter months to get inside of Cannon and participate in the many activities they had available.

Cannon is attached by a breezeway to the Finney high school. It was used at some point in the 60’s and 70’s as the school gym.

As the city is experiencing a current wave of new development, hopefully we can revisit a forgotten asset that provided an opportunity for many youth, including myself, the opportunity to develop relationships, learn a new craft and stay physically fit. For any Detroiter, go and checkout your nearest Recreation Center. You’ll be amazed at the activities and opportunities that are available.

For more photos of Cannon Recreation Center after its closure, visit: http://www.detroiturbex.com/content/parksandrec/reccenter/index.html