Community Recreation Center – Restoration Project
START DATE
2025
LOCATION
Community Recreation Center, Wilmette
Restoration Project - Update
Updated - 12.13.25
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE – December 13, 2025
Main Entrance / Foyer Closed: December 17 – December 19
From Wednesday, December 17, through Friday, December 19, the main foyer and primary entrance of the Community Recreation Center will be fully closed due to construction. This closure will significantly affect traffic flow throughout the building. Please plan accordingly and allow extra time when arriving.
What This Means for Your Visit:
- There is NO ACCESS available through the main entrance or lobby.
- There is no elevator or ADA access to the second floor during this period.
- The Front Desk has been relocated to the West Wing Lobby.
- Fitness members must use the temporary entrance located in the western courtyard (see map).
- Early Childhood Center, Gymnastics, Sports, Theater, Dance, Art, Music, East Wing, and West Wing programs must be accessed from the preferred alternate exterior doors shown on the map.
- On Tuesday, December 16, the front desk will be removed; the front foyer will remain open during this time. Please use caution when entering.
How to Navigate the Building:
Please refer to the navigation map to find the best entry door for your destination within the CRC:
- Fitness Club: Access is available only through the temporary entrance located in the west exterior breezeway.
- Sports Gym & Theater: Use access points 1, 2, or 9.
- East Wing (Rooms 106–107): Use access point 3.
- East Wing – 2nd Floor (Rooms 200-205): Use access point 3.
- West Wing (Rooms 115–119): Use access points 4, 7, or 8.
- Gymnastics: Use access points 4 or 8.
- Early Childhood Center: Use access points 4, 5, or 8.
We appreciate your patience as we complete this construction work to improve your Community Recreation Center experience.
To learn the latest information on our project timeline, visit our BLOG.
Background
On Thursday, May 22 a sprinkler head was accidentally triggered during an afterschool program on the second floor of the Community Recreation Center (CRC).
The sprinkler system’s activation automatically set off the fire alarm and the building’s fire suppression system. First responders arrived quickly, and the building was safely evacuated. There was no fire or immediate danger, but the sprinkler caused significant water damage in the fifteen to twenty minutes while it was on.
The damage was concentrated to the east side of the building on both the second and first floors. ServPro and Wilmette Park District staff are actively managing clean-up and remediation efforts. Here’s a summary of the affected areas:
Second Floor: Several multi-purpose rooms experienced water exposure, damaging select furnishings and equipment. Flooring in various areas, including carpet and hard surfaces, is undergoing removal or drying. Specialized fitness rooms and ceramics art studios were also affected.
First Floor: Large activity rooms and office spaces sustained damage primarily to ceiling tiles, flooring, and lower wall sections. Common areas, including the lobby, experienced carpet and furniture damage.
A wide range of programs were impacted, primarily through room relocations. Most programs could continue in alternative spaces, but a few requiring specific studio equipment, like ceramics and spin classes, have been canceled.
Project Overview
This project aims to restore the Community Recreation Center to full operational capacity by undertaking comprehensive repair and replacement work. This will include removal and replacement of drywall, ceiling tiles, flooring, furniture, windows, doors, and specialized equipment for fitness and arts programs.
Restoration efforts will be coordinated with ongoing cleanup and remediation managed by ServPro and Wilmette Park District staff to ensure a seamless transition back to full service.
Planning Goal and Intended Outcomes
- Return all affected areas to full use by replacing damaged structural components, finishes, and equipment to meet or exceed pre-incident conditions.
- Facilitate a smooth resumption of programs by prioritizing repairs that impact specialized spaces such as ceramics studios and fitness rooms, and by coordinating alternative program locations as needed during renovation.
- Comply with all building codes, safety regulations, and accessibility standards during renovation and replacement activities to guarantee a safe environment for staff and visitors.
- Use high-quality materials and finishes to improve the durability and visual appeal of repaired spaces.
- Complete replacement of damaged drywall, ceiling tiles, flooring (carpet, hard surfaces, tile), and lower wall sections.
- Replacement of damaged furniture, windows, and doors to ensure comfort and security.
- Full replacement of specialized fitness and ceramics equipment to reinstate all program offerings.
- Reopening of all impacted rooms and common areas with no residual safety hazards or operational limitations.
Documents and Presentations
No Current Documents at this Time
Project Timeline
Download PDF 
Save This Page as a PDF