Regional Teamwork Works!
Regional Cooperation for Parks & Recreation
Centre Region Parks and Recreation (CRPR) is an agency of the Centre Region Council
of Governments, a voluntary association of municipalities in Centre County, PA, working together
for the betterment of the region. The Borough of State College and the Townships of College,
Ferguson, Harris and Patton participate and contribute shared-funding in support of regional
year-round recreation and municipal park operations. Rather than each municipality operating their own Parks
& Recreation Department, CRPR has been designated as their official municipal recreation and
park agency for over 40 years.
Each municipality acquires and develops their park sites; maintenance and programs
are then jointly-funded and provided by CRPR. For 2008, CRPR will maintain recreation areas
totaling 783 acres at 51 sites, and provides the region's 77,000 residents with special events and programs
in parks, school district facilities and at other sites. Seven facilities, however, are capitalized
and operated by the Centre Region Parks and Recreation Board / Centre Regional Recreation
Authority (CRRA) on a regional basis with prorated contributions from the five participating municipalities:
• Centre Region Senior Center • Park Forest Community Swimming Pool
• Millbrook Marsh Nature Center • Wm. L. Welch Community Swimming Pool
• 5 ballfields leased at 3 SCASD elementary schools
The five participating municipalities are making outstanding progress in cooperation for
building larger parks for the future - which is new ground for the COG. During 2006 the five participating municipalities developed and
approved an agreement to jointly fund the phased planning and development of these two
parks, which have been designated primarily for active recreation activities.
• Oak Hall Parklands (68-acres adjacent to the Oak Hall interchange of the bypass) was
purchased from Penn State University in 2005 with the assistance of a $300,000 state grant. With
the assistance of another PA DCNR grant and municipal cooperation, the COG recently selected
the firm of Pashek Associates to coordinate the development of a Master Site Plan for that site.
• Whitehall Road Parklands (75-acres near the intersection of Blue Course Drive and
Whitehall Road) were purchased from Penn State University on 30 May 08 with
the assistance of a state grant. These parklands are owned jointly by COG and Ferguson Township.
With regard to the renewal of the two community swimming pools:
• The five municipalities recently finalized a shared funding plan for the two pool renewals
totaling $7.9 million. State funding assistance is an important component of that plan.
• The Park Forest Pool Renewal project began construction on 5 Aug 08 in order to reopen in May 2009.
• The Master Site Plan for the renewal of Wm. L. Welch Community Swimming Pool is
50% complete - pending final discussions with State College Area School District regarding shared parking at SCAHS. Once the Master Site Plan is finalized,
it is planned that construction would begin in early-August 2009.
Community participation remains a vital part of CRPR operations and planning. All residents
are invited to visit the CRPR website and then participate in both our activities and the planning
for new facilities.
Visit the CRPR "Parks by Location" or the "Parks by Activity" pages.
Click
here for
a fact sheet (in PDF from 2005) about CRPR. |
2008 Board Members: