Photo Credit: Renderings By KZF Design
Cincinnati Recreation Commission’s (CRC) network of recreation includes 23 recreation centers, 33 aquatic facilities, 6 golf courses, and hundreds of playgrounds, sports courts, and fields. Often, these facilities are the hubs of the neighborhoods—just as Hirsch Recreation Center is the hub of the city’s Avondale neighborhood.
When the recreation center was to be closed for more than a year to complete major renovations in December 2017, many people were worried. Where would the community go to play?
The center sits in a proud and active neighborhood that has been plagued with violence in recent times. Since January 2014, Avondale has seen the most gun violence of all Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods, with 187 shooting victims. In 2017 alone, Avondale led all of the city’s communities with 36 gunshot victims. Clearly, the community could not see another social safety net closed—even temporarily. With this reality, it was apparent something had to be done.