Photo Credit: Versatility
The town of Castle Rock, Colo., developed the Miller Activity Complex (MAC) to meet the needs of a growing 65,000-resident community. The MAC blends recreation and entertainment through indoor sports and self-directed youth recreation. The project was inspired through an interactive public process, constrained by the requirement of relying on user fees to fund operations without subsidy, to ensure the continued success of the existing recreation center.
Perhaps the most important factor related to the MAC’s success is the facility’s location and prominence within the 300-acre Philip S. Miller Park. The park is located only two-thirds of a mile from Interstate 25 and creates a campus-like setting, with the MAC serving as the anchor. The park provides everything from self-directed outdoor recreation on mountain-bike trails and a 200-step outdoor staircase, to directed adventure-recreation on zip lines and an aerial trekking tower. Families can relax at the pavilions while children play in the splash pad or on the playground, and active, older adults can walk a 1.2-mile paved loop. An amphitheater and a facility rental called the Millhouse provide public gathering spaces and can host an array of community events.
So Much To Do
The MAC features a 10,000-square-foot indoor pool, a two-story indoor playground, an 85-foot by 185-foot indoor field with dasher boards, a 75-foot by 100-foot practice field with drop-down batting nets, an 18-hole golf simulator, and 500 square feet of trampolines. The fabric pool cover includes four, large, rollup-garage sunshine doors that can be opened to outdoor patios and a scenic greenbelt when outside temperatures allow. These facilities are supported by staff offices, two party rooms, vending area, team locker rooms, family and pool locker rooms, and lounge area with a fireplace, comfortable seating, televisions, and games. Three building types enclose 64,000 square feet of indoor recreation space, including a pre-engineered metal building, traditional masonry construction, and a fabric, aluminum frame-supported structure. These materials were selected to deliver a cost-effective building that has both functionality and aesthetics.