City to host Feb. 21 grand opening of MLK Community Center

City to host Feb. 21 grand opening of MLK Community Center

Published on February 03, 2026

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The City of Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Department will celebrate the grand opening of the MLK Community Center, 900 Fuller Ave. SE, with a free community event on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 2 to 5 p.m. Doors will open at 1:45 p.m.

The event will feature family-friendly activities, giveaways and a chance to explore the new facility. The first 100 guests will receive free GR Gold tickets, and light refreshments will be available for the first 200 guests.

"This new community center represents what Grand Rapids is all about-bringing people together," Mayor David LaGrand said. "I invite everyone to join us on Feb. 21 to celebrate this incredible space and the opportunities it will create for Grand Rapids residents and our Third Ward neighborhoods."

The nearly 25,000-square-foot center marks a new chapter for Martin Luther King Park and the King Park neighborhood. Programming for the center will start in March with classes like Line Dancing, Pilates, and Hip-Hop Step along with youth dance classes, open gym hours and an after-school program for teens. The department's free Fitness Gold program, which offers low-impact fitness classes, will also be held at the center starting in March. A full schedule will be released closer to the opening.

Community engagement started in 2019 with the MLK Quality of Life Study where MLK Park neighbors gathered to create a shared vision for their neighborhood park which included long-term goals like activation, updates to the then park lodge and rentable space.

To provide architectural support, a community stakeholder group selected Isaac V. Norris & Associates, P.C. (IVNA), to complete a feasibility study and environmental assessment on the existing lodge. The results were presented to the community with a survey to determine if they preferred a lodge renovation or complete rebuild. Community members voted in majority for a complete rebuild that honored the park's cultural and historical significance.

"We wanted this project to be guided by people who would use the space the most," said Laura Cleypool, director of parks and recreation. "After years of engagement starting back in 2019, we're excited to finally open the doors and celebrate with the community."

Community input informed the final plans designed by IVNA, which include multipurpose rooms, a gymnasium with multi-use sports court lines for basketball, volleyball, and pickleball, rentable event space, and improved access to year-round programming.

The input also led to a brand-new pool house, expanded parking lot, fitness loop with outside exercise equipment, and moving the park playground from alongside the busy Fuller Ave to the corner of Benjamin and Alexander streets, providing a safer play experience.

The center will also provide administrative space for Our Community's Children and the King Park Neighbors, the local neighborhood association.

In total, the MLK Community Center and park improvements represent a $19.7 million investment in the neighborhood. Funding for the project came from the City Capital Fund, the parks millage, the Third Ward Equity Fund, a Michigan Economic Development Corporation grant, and the City American Rescue Plan Act.

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