New West Ridge Community Center is open; residents can check it out on June 4

What began as a concept in 2019 is now fully realized as the West Ridge Community Center prepares for its grand opening Thursday, June 4. 

The building first opened on May 11, but the upcoming celebration will mark the public debut of the completed facility at 636 Ridge Road and its new educational and recreational spaces.

The grand opening from 5-7 p.m. will include tours of the facility, live music by the Highland Park Pops Big Band, refreshments and outdoor games. 

The park district asks attendees to RSVP online by Tuesday, May 26. 

“We are excited to open the new West Ridge Community Center this spring. It will be fully accessible, universally designed for inclusivity and include state-of-the-art safety and security features,” said Brian Romes, executive director of the Park District of Highland Park, in a statement. “It is a facility that addresses community needs and will serve our residents for decades in the future.”

The Park District opened the community center for programs on Monday, May 18, and celebrated the occasion with a “small soft opening,” according to information on the district’s website. Not everything, however, was complete by May 11, as the district is continuing to “fine tune the building and complete remaining punch list items” in advance of the grand opening celebration on June 4.

The site says ballfield dugouts, fencing and more are in the works, and by early June, a native planting garden is planned to be installed. 

In 2019, the GreenPrint 2024 Master Plan Review and Amendment expressed the need for a “multi-purpose facility to provide flexible, multi-generational programming space for youth and adults and to expand gymnastics programming,” according to a 2025 update from the park district. The plan also highlighted the need to address the aging West Ridge Center. 

The district in 2022 began designing a new community center at West Ridge Park.. 

The new building reportedly provides ParkSchool students and teachers with modern classrooms and enrichment rooms. Early childhood rooms open to an outdoor space and access to the native planting area, supporting nature-inspired, play-based learning. 

The new gymnastics center, at 10,000 square feet, is more than double the size of the space at Centennial Ice Arena (3,500 square feet) and includes Olympic-grade equipment, an enlarged pit area, a trampoline and more. 

The building also includes a new dance studio. 

“This project leveraged the opportunity to envision the entire West Ridge Park site with a new perspective that would meet the needs of all residents for generations to come,” Romes said on the district’s website. “We are all excited for the impact this site will have within the community.” 

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