Community Center's Opening a Milestone of Sorts for Greenfield

When it comes to the nuts and bolts of a community, the City of Greenfield’s wish list is just about complete.

With , 7215 W. Cold Spring Rd., Saturday, the infrastructure of buildings that meet citizens' service needs are in place and will be for years.

“Every single building that’s required for this city for the next couple decades is done,” Mayor Michael Neitzke said at . “The Law Enforcement Center, the fire stations, the DPW garage, the community center, the library, it’s all done.”

What’s more is those facilities were built or upgraded economically. The library is a recycled police department, and the brand-spanking new community center is a renovated library that did not cost taxpayers a dime.

“This building was recycled from a library that outgrew its beginnings,” Neitzke said. “Find someplace else in the state of Wisconsin that can put together a community center for $600,000 and has the kind of community support like Dan Jansen Fest and Sendik’s or the Partners of Parks (and Recreation) and the list goes on. You won’t.”

and provided two of the four signature donations that made funding for the project a reality, along with donations from more than 200 individuals, families and local businesses.

Dan Jansen Family Fest’s generosity was rewarded Saturday when Greenfield Parks and Recreation Director Scott Jaquish announced the center’s multipurpose room will be known as Jansen Fest Hall. The kitchen will be known as Sendik’s Kitchen.

Jaquish also thanked the Common Council for authorizing the city to form an ad hoc committee to oversee the project.

“The vision of the community center was to create a facility that will become more than just an enrichment, lifelong learning, social, health and fitness facility,” Jaquish said. “It will serve as a valuable asset and important anchor for the community and becoming the hub of recreation for the community.”

That is the hope of Denise Collins, a member of the ad hoc committee and the Parks and Recreation Board.

“I’m so proud to have this facility within our city,” Collins said. “One of the main reasons why I got involved in the Parks and Rec … I was told we weren’t able to afford a community center but maybe sometime in the future. Well, that sometime has happened.

“It’s going to be a great community building block for us.”

Alderperson Shirley Saryan, the ad hoc committee’s chairperson and the Common Council’s representative on the Parks and Rec board, called the committee members caring, knowledgeable and cooperative and also thanked the Park and Rec employees, including Jaquish.

“They have all gone above and beyond their duties to make the community center a reality,” she said. “I thank them and Scott, who has spent countless hours leading, organizing and working on this project from conception to fruition. Greenfield is fortunate to have Scott leading the way.”

And now, Greenfield is fortunate to have its own community center.

“This place is going to be used and it’s going to be used a lot,” Neitzke said. “We no longer have to take our senior citizens through the catacombs of City Hall, to the basement for their classes. We no longer have to take our tumblers down there and let them get into places they shouldn’t be getting into. No longer do the people that are dancing have to find a place to do it. 

“We should all be very, very proud.”