MCI-Acton redevelopment plan should include indoor rec facility
As a New England community, Acton must provide recreational opportunities across all four seasons.
On behalf of the Acton Recreation Committee, we want to express our strong support for preserving the existing gymnasium at the MCI-Acton property or incorporating a new indoor recreational facility as part of the site’s redevelopment.
Acton has a significant need for additional flexible indoor recreational space that can serve residents year-round. The Strategic Facilities Plan undertaken by Acton Recreation identified expanded indoor recreational opportunities as an important community need. As a New England community, Acton must provide recreational opportunities across all four seasons, yet our existing indoor facilities are limited.
A gymnasium or similar flexible-use space at the MCI property could serve residents of all ages and support basketball, pickleball, walking and running, youth and adult programs, community gatherings, dances, and other special events that are increasingly difficult to accommodate elsewhere in town.
This opportunity is particularly compelling because recreational infrastructure already exists at the MCI site. As the town considers the property’s future, we encourage evaluation of whether the existing gym can be preserved and repurposed or, if that is not feasible, whether comparable recreational space can be incorporated into the redevelopment.
The MCI property represents a unique opportunity to plan for Acton’s long-term needs. Flexible indoor recreational space would address an already identified community need while creating an asset that could benefit youth, adults, seniors, schools, and community organizations for decades.
The Acton Recreation Committee strongly encourages including indoor recreational space as part of the development of the MCI-Acton property.
Matt Boger
Baker Avenue
Chair, Acton Recreation Commission
