Akron Reporter

The City of Green releases an initial space layout concept for the Green Community Courts. The proposed facility will be built by the city on Green Local School property in concert with the new school facilities plan being presented to voters as Issue 3 on the May 3 ballot.

Mayor Gerard Neugebauer initially discussed his vision for the Green Community Courts at his State of the City Address in 

January 2022. The Community Courts would combine physical activity space for the new Green Middle School with open public space: providing indoor walking tracks and multi-purpose courts and rooms designed to promote an active lifestyle for our youth, adult and senior populations. 

This collaboration between Green Local Schools and the City of Green is a key element of the new school facilities plan that will allow the schools to prioritize levy funds for classroom and instructional space, while city resources are used to create the active space needed in the community.  

“Community collaborations such as this are occurring all over the state as a way to maximize the effectiveness of taxpayer dollars used for education by adding the indoor active space that truly benefits the entire community,” said Gerard Neugebauer, mayor, City of Green. 

The city will build the Community Courts by exploring the use of a combination of funds from the General Fund and the City’s Parks and Recreation Capital Fund, which by city charter receives 7% of the city’s income tax revenues. 

“The State of Ohio has committed to paying up to 25% of the cost to construct our new school buildings, including the required gym space,” said Jeff Miller, superintendent of Green Local Schools. “By having the City fund the gym space needed for our new Middle School as part of this new Community Courts project, we can use the state funding to enhance our classroom and instruction space to provide a better learning environment for our children and grandchildren.”  

Location

The Community Courts would be constructed in the location of the existing Green Intermediate School, which is located conveniently next to Central Park, the Green Memorial Stadium, and other sports and recreational facilities.  This location provides plenty of existing parking.

Community Court Features

The conceptual plan features four basketball courts, which convert to the equivalent number of volleyball courts, or 12 pickleball courts.  The community side of the facility, open during school hours (shown in orange), would be accessed via a separate entrance on the east side of the facility, features restrooms, multipurpose rooms, two hardwood courts, and an indoor track (12 laps per mile).  The school side (shown in yellow), with access from the new Middle School, would be isolated from the community side only during school hours, has separate restrooms, two additional courts, and a separate indoor track (12 laps per mile).  When school is not in session, the entire facility will be available for public use, with four courts and an expanded track (7 laps per mile). All walking tracks will be located above the court level.

“This new facility complements rather than competes with the recreational amenities already available in our community,” said Neugebauer. “Our community desires more active space to support a variety of activities, from yoga to dance, basketball, pickleball and more.  This proposed facility effectively offers all this space to serve our youth, adult, and senior populations.” 

Next Steps

“After the school levy passes, the city will begin the process of taking these concepts to final design through a robust process that includes community input. This initial space layout is offered to assist the community in visualizing the space for these discussions,” said Neugebauer.

Because the Community Courts facility is slated to be built on the site of the existing Intermediate School, the facility will be constructed in concert with the Green Local School facility construction plan. 

The City of Green invites residents to share any comments related to the Community Courts at www.cityofgreen.org/courts.

The City of Green, Ohio, founded in 1992, is a prosperous, progressive, and promising city with more than 27,475 residents. Approximately 33.5 square-miles, Green is located in southern Summit County.