Wooster to add outdoor fitness court in arts district

A free outdoor fitness court and studio will be coming to Wooster that will enhance streetscape improvements underway in the city’s arts district.

Wooster City Council adopted a resolution during its April 20 meeting to accept a $35,000 grant from the wellness consulting firm National Fitness Campaign to help offset the cost.

The city will be responsible for the remaining $200,000 of the project, which was included in an earlier resolution approving bidding authorization for the arts district and remains within the city’s established capital planning.

“This is meant to be fitness for all,” said Phil Turske, the city’s deputy director of administration. “One of the key aspects of this is it has to be open to everyone.”

The project includes the installation of a concrete pad and assembly of the fitness court, both to be completed by separate vendors.

The fitness court will be located at the site of the former County Health Department building, which has been vacant for two years.

Wayne County commissioners have already secured land bank funding to demolish the building and have agreed to lease the land to the city for recreational programming, a partnership modeled after the arrangement of the city’s soccer complex at the county-owned Kinney Field.

Some concerns arose from a few council members about the city not owning the land and leasing it from the county, like with Kinney Field. Several city officials gave examples of the county and city working well together on past projects to try to ease any concerns.

Another concern mentioned was whether an outdoor fitness court and studio would actually get used.

Turske said the city’s recreation department is going to work on programming to make sure it is utilized.

According to Turske, the National Fitness Campaign typically awards $25,000 grants for outdoor fitness courts but liked Wooster’s project so much that it increased the amount by $10,000.

“A big plus that they saw in the application is that it’s right next to Local Roots (market and café), it’s right next to Ride On (bicycle shop),” Turske said. “It’s that healthy mindset.”

Putting it in the city’s arts district next to the Wayne Center for the Arts and its arts park also appealed to the National Fitness Campaign, Turske added.

“We have the option to engage with a local artist to design a mural that will go in the front and the back that will really show what Wooster is,” he said.