SAPULPA, Okla. — A new rec center in Sapulpa is finally happening.
As they turned the dirt in front of the Booker T. Washington Rec Center, there were a lot of memories in the air, especially from the center’s supervisor Rickey Bruner.
“I started here in the first grade,” said Rickey Bruner.
Bruner’s formative years took place at BTW when it was a school for black children during segregation.
He met his wife at the school and has led the rec center for more than 30 years.
“It was a place of love true love and so we cherish BTW,” said Bruner.
He says it’s bittersweet to see the old building go as a new one rises in its place.
“The memories will always be with me…with us,” said Bruner.
The project is five years in the making. Voters passed a bond in 2020 for a $8.5 million rec center.
Vice Mayor Carla Gunn has championed the project from the start.
“As a community this building means everything to us, but we want to be able to pass this along to our next generation and give them something to fight for and be excited for,” said Gunn.
2 News reported in 2022 when COVID and inflation ballooned the potential cost.
Local News
Inflation impacting Sapulpa recreation center project
Gunn says after years of work, she’s excited to see this project move forward.
“It took a long time but here we are,” said Gunn.
The city showed renderings of the new building:
The current gym will stay in place, but they’ll build a second gym for basketball, volleyball and pickleball along with a walking track and lots of space for programs and events.
As Bruner looks at the history of the families who came before saying, “that gave us hope that if they can do it, we can do it and we’re not going to settle for nothing less.”
They’re also looking to the future to a project bringing Sapulpa together.
“It took our community the city of Sapulpa to believe in this project,” said Gunn. “This is 8.5 million dollars in a neighborhood that people didn’t expect.”
The rec center will be closed for a year with hopes of a ribbon cutting for the next center this time next year.
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