Meerscheidt Recreation Center remodel underway

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-CD02, held a roundtable discussion at Meerscheidt Recreation Center on Tuesday, July 29, to hear from city, county, school administration and community leaders to address youth violence prevention.

Holding the roundtable discussion there was symbolic. Steven Bingham, the City of Las Cruces Parks and Recreation Director, told the Bulletin that renovation of the Meerscheidt Recreation Center began about six weeks ago and is scheduled to continue until next spring.

He said the $2.1 million project is largely about enlarging the center’s programming space by transforming the men and women’s locker room spaces into rooms where activities such as dance and aerobics classes could be held.

The shower space at Meerscheidt Recreation Center is a large group shower. Bingham said most people who rely on Meerscheidt for recreation don’t shower there.

He said the city did studies 30 years ago that led the city to believe, at the time, that large open changing rooms with significant locker space and a group shower would be appreciated by people who use Meerscheidt.

But, the times have changed, Bingham said.

“It’s not valid anymore. People don’t shower here,” he said.

The lockers also go largely unused, as does the changing room, he said.

Bingham talked about the Meerscheidt Recreation Center’s renovation as part of the roundtable discussion about how the city, county, the local schools and the federal government can work together to provide more outlets for teenagers to encourage behavior that will keep teens off the streets.

The tragic shooting at Young Park in late March was brought up. Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enrique said the Young Park shooting, which took the lives of three youth, “hit us all.”

Vasquez said he previously served on a juvenile justice board that took kids outdoors to get them out of “peer groups that encourage bad behavior.”

“There is so much more work that needs to be done,” he said.

Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz talked about a partnership where school gyms could be made available to the city for recreational purposes. Las Cruces City Manager Ikani Taumoepeau brought up “resurrecting” Amador Live as a space for teen activities. Boys and Girls Club Chief Executive Officer Ashley Echavarria said the Boys and Girls Club is moving into a 30,000 square foot space.

“This building will allow us to enhance programming ,” she said.

After the roundtable discussion, Vasquez, Enrique and others played basketball on the center’s court.